The English opener Zak Crawley suggested he was not familiar with statements from skipper Stokes regarding the team environment as no place for "weak men".
Stokes made this message in several interviews in the wake of England's defeat in the second Ashes against the Australians earlier this month.
In the lead-up to the Adelaide Test, where the visitors are staring at defeat at the earliest opportunity, the captain stated he had let his sentiment to "circulate freely" within the playing group.
"I've done all the talking over the past two days that I needed to have done," said the England leader.
However, following Crawley scored 85 on the penultimate day in Adelaide, he commented: "I didn't see that."
"I didn't see and wasn't really looking out for it. We take everything that is said in the press with some skepticism," Crawley continued.
Frank Discussions and Consistent Messaging
Stokes issued his "fragile individuals" comment subsequent to England were beaten in the second Test to fall 2-0 down.
The team subsequently took a holiday to a Queensland resort in the gap between the second and third Tests.
Before this match, he revealed his players had held "honest" conversations and he had urged them to "display some fight" in their battle to stay in contention in the Ashes battle.
Yet, the Kent batsman asserted the guidance from Stokes and head coach Brendon McCullum had stayed in line with their previous tenure in leadership.
"It's been very positive, the same as always," noted Crawley. "It's on maintaining positivity, playing our brand, with great liberty. It felt like we could do something special going into this game."
Australia On the Verge of Rapid Series Victory
The opener's dismissal on day four was part of a crucial three-wicket burst by Australian spinner Nathan Lyon.
The spinner's triple strike in a short spell – including the wickets of Brook and Stokes himself – meant England six down for 207 chasing a daunting total of 435.
Consequently, Australia require just four more wickets on Sunday's last day to move to an insurmountable three-nil advantage with three matches played.
Defeat would prolong England's winless run in this country to 18 Tests and ensure a fourth straight overseas Ashes defeat.
This series will be completed in only 11 days of cricket – with England losing the first two Tests in two and four days respectively.
The last time 1921, when the Australians completed victory in England in eight days, has the destination of the Ashes urn been decided more swiftly. Australia have also triumphed in eleven days on two other occasions in the 21st century.
"It's disheartening," said the batsman. "We came here to regain the Ashes and now we are staring down the barrel now."
"There will still be plenty to play for and we will certainly approach it like that," Crawley added.
"It's been difficult. They're a formidable side. It was inevitably tough coming here against them. They were the favourites and they've proven why."
Ollie Pope's Place Under Scrutiny
Although Crawley's innings in the third Test probably answers doubts about his immediate future in the side, Ollie Pope looks under immense pressure for his position in the Melbourne Test on Boxing Day.
Pope fell for 17 in the team's second innings on day four, adding to his modest returns against Australia.
In sixteen Ashes knocks, Pope has failed to score a half-century and averages just 17.62.
Only one other England player since 1900 – Dennis Amiss – has featured an equal number of innings in the top six in Ashes Tests and recorded a lower average.
However, the opener said any notion Pope is being scrutinised comes from "the media" – referring to the press – "and not within the team."
"The squad is fully aware of his considerable talent," said he. "He has had a productive year if I'm honest."
"He has produced several excellent innings. It is talk from the outside. There's no chat like that on Ollie amongst the players," Crawley finished.
