England opening batter Zak Crawley suggested he was not familiar with statements made by skipper Stokes about the team environment as no place for "those lacking fortitude".
Stokes delivered those words in multiple conversations in the wake of England's loss in the second match of the Ashes series against the Australians previously.
Ahead of the third Test, where the visitors are staring at defeat with a match to spare, the captain noted he had let his message to "drift around" within the squad.
"I've done the necessary discussions over the past two days that I required," said the England leader.
But, after Crawley scored 85 on the fourth day in Adelaide, he stated: "I didn't see that."
"I wasn't actively searching for it. Our approach is to take everything that is said in the media with some skepticism," he added.
Frank Discussions and Steady Philosophy
The captain issued his "weak men" comment after his side suffered a loss in the second Test to go two matches behind.
The England squad afterwards went on a break to Noosa in the gap between the second and the upcoming matches.
Prior to the Adelaide contest, he revealed his team had held "raw" talks and he had asked them to "display some fight" in their effort to stay alive in the Ashes battle.
Yet, Crawley stated the messaging from the captain and head coach McCullum had remained consistent with their previous three years in leadership.
"It's been very positive, unchanged," said Crawley. "The focus is just trying to be optimistic, playing our brand, with lots of freedom. It felt like we were capable of something special going into this Test."
The Hosts On the Verge of Rapid 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 – including the wickets of Brook and Ben Stokes – meant the chasing side 207-6 chasing a notional target of 435 runs.
This means, Australia require just four more wickets on the final day to move to an unassailable 3-0 lead after 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.
This series will be completed in just 11 days of play – after England fell the initial matches in two and four days respectively.
Not since 1921, when the Australians completed victory in the UK in eight days, has the outcome of the Ashes urn been decided more swiftly. The hosts have also triumphed in 11 days on two other occasions in the modern era.
"It's disappointing," admitted Crawley. "Our goal was to regain the Ashes and now we are staring down the barrel at this point."
"There will still be significant pride at stake and we will certainly approach it like that," Crawley added.
"It's been difficult. They're a formidable side. It was always going to be hard coming here against them. They entered as the favourites coming in to it they've proven why."
Ollie Pope's Place Under Scrutiny
Although Crawley's innings in the third Test likely secures questions about his short-term future in the England team, Ollie Pope appears under immense pressure for his spot in the Melbourne Test starting December 26th.
Pope fell for 17 runs in England's second innings on day four, extending his poor record against the old enemy.
In 16 Ashes innings, Pope has never made a fifty and boasts an average of just 17.62.
A solitary other England player since 1900 – Dennis Amiss – has played an equal number of innings in the top order in Ashes Tests and recorded a poorer 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 how good of a player he is," said Crawley. "Ollie has enjoyed a productive year to be frank."
"He has played some really good knocks. This is noise from the outside. There is no chat of that nature on Ollie amongst the players," Crawley concluded.
