The English opening batter Zak Crawley has indicated he was not familiar with comments from skipper Stokes about the team environment as no place for "weak men".
Stokes made those words in several interviews following his team's defeat in the second match of the Ashes versus Australia previously.
In the lead-up to the third Test, where England now face defeat with a match to spare, the captain stated he had allowed his sentiment to "circulate freely" among the playing group.
"I've done the necessary discussions over the past two days that I required," said Stokes.
But, after Crawley made 85 on the fourth day in the third Test, he stated: "I didn't see that."
"I wasn't actively searching for it. We take everything that is said in the press with some skepticism," he added.
Frank Discussions and Consistent Messaging
The captain issued his "weak men" comment subsequent to England suffered a loss in the second Test to go two matches behind.
The team afterwards went on a holiday to Noosa between the second and the upcoming matches.
Before this match, Stokes said his players had held "raw" talks and he had asked them to "show a bit of dog" in their battle to remain in contention in the Ashes battle.
Yet, Crawley asserted the messaging from the captain and head coach Brendon McCullum had remained in line with their previous three years in charge.
"The atmosphere has been extremely upbeat, the same as always," said Crawley. "The focus is just trying to be optimistic, play our way, with lots of freedom. We believed we were capable of something special going into this Test."
The Hosts Close of Rapid Series Victory
Crawley's wicket on day four was part of a crucial three-wicket burst by Australian spinner Lyon.
The spinner's three wickets in a short spell – including the wickets of Harry Brook and Stokes himself – left the chasing side six down for 207 in pursuit of a notional target of 435 runs.
This means, Australia require four wickets on the last day to secure an insurmountable three-nil lead after three matches played.
Defeat will extend the English team's winless run in Australia to 18 Tests and ensure a fourth successive overseas Ashes defeat.
This series is set to be decided in only 11 days of cricket – after England fell the initial matches in rapid time respectively.
The last time 1921, when Australia completed victory in the UK in eight days, has the outcome of the urn been determined so quickly. The hosts have also triumphed in 11 days on two other instances in the 21st century.
"It's disappointing," admitted Crawley. "Our goal was to win the Ashes and we're staring down the barrel now."
"There remains significant pride at stake and we will definitely view it with that mindset," he continued.
"The challenge has been tough. They're a very, very good side. It was inevitably hard touring here to face them. They were the front-runners coming in to it they've proven why."
Ollie Pope's Place In Question
Although Crawley's performance in the third Test likely secures doubts about his immediate place in the England team, Ollie Pope appears under immense pressure for his position in the Melbourne Test starting December 26th.
The Surrey batsman fell for 17 runs in the team's second innings on Saturday, extending his modest returns versus Australia.
In 16 Ashes innings, Pope has failed to score a fifty and boasts an average of 17.62.
Only one other England player in over a century – Amiss – has featured an equal number of innings in the top six in the Ashes and returned a poorer average.
But, Crawley insisted any suggestion Pope is under the microscope comes from "the media" – meaning the press – "not inside the camp."
"We all know of his considerable talent," said Crawley. "He has had a good year to be frank."
"He has produced some really good knocks. This is talk from the outside. There's no discussion of that nature on Ollie in the camp," Crawley finished.
