The English opening batter Zak Crawley suggested he was not familiar with comments made by captain Stokes about the team environment as no place for "weak men".
Stokes delivered this message in several conversations following England's loss in the second match of the Ashes versus Australia earlier this month.
Ahead of the Adelaide Test, where England are staring at defeat at the earliest opportunity, Stokes noted he had let his sentiment to "circulate freely" among the squad.
"I have completed all the talking over the past two days that I required," remarked Stokes.
But, following Crawley scored a knock of 85 on the penultimate day in the third Test, he commented: "I missed those remarks."
"I didn't see and wasn't really looking out for it. We take everything that is said in the press with a pinch of salt," he added.
Raw Conversations and Steady Philosophy
The captain issued his "weak men" comment after England were beaten in Brisbane to go two matches behind.
The England squad afterwards went on a holiday to a Queensland resort in the gap between the second and the upcoming Tests.
Prior to this match, he revealed his players had held "honest" conversations and he had asked them to "display some fight" in their effort to remain alive in the series.
Yet, Crawley asserted the messaging from Stokes and head coach McCullum had remained in line with their prior three years in charge.
"It's been extremely upbeat, the same as always," noted the opener. "It's on maintaining positivity, playing our brand, with great liberty. It felt like we were capable of an extraordinary feat entering this Test."
The Hosts On the Verge of Historic Ashes Triumph
The opener's dismissal late on Saturday came during a crucial three-wicket burst by Australian spinner Nathan Lyon.
The spinner's three wickets in 20 deliveries – he also bowled Harry Brook and Stokes himself – meant England 207-6 in pursuit of a notional total of 435.
This means, the home team require just four more wickets on Sunday's final day to secure an unassailable 3-0 advantage with three matches played.
A loss would prolong the English team's winless run in Australia to 18 consecutive matches and condemn them to a fourth successive away Ashes loss.
The current battle is set to be decided in just eleven days of cricket – with England fell the initial matches in two and four days respectively.
The last time 1921, when the Australians completed victory in the UK in eight days, has the destination of the Ashes urn been determined more swiftly. Australia have also won in 11 days on two other instances in the 21st century.
"This is disappointing," admitted the batsman. "We came here to win the Ashes and now we are facing elimination at this point."
"There remains significant pride at stake and we will definitely view it with that mindset," he continued.
"It's been tough. They're a very, very good team. It was inevitably tough coming here to face them. They were the favourites and they've proven why."
Ollie Pope's Position In Question
While the opener's innings in the third Test probably answers doubts about his short-term future in the side, Pope looks under threat for his spot in the fourth Test on Boxing Day.
Pope was out for 17 runs in England's second innings on day four, extending his modest returns against the old enemy.
In 16 Ashes innings, the Surrey man has failed to score a fifty and boasts an average of just 17.62.
Only one other English batsman in over a century – Dennis Amiss – has played as many times in the top order in Ashes Tests and recorded a lower average.
But, the opener insisted any notion Pope is being scrutinised comes from "you guys" – meaning the journalists – "not inside the camp."
"The squad is fully aware how good of a player he is," said he. "He has had a productive year to be frank."
"He has produced some really good knocks. This is noise from the outside. There's no chat of that nature regarding Pope amongst the players," Crawley concluded.
