England opener Zak Crawley has indicated he had no knowledge of comments made by skipper Stokes about the team environment as no place for "those lacking fortitude".
Stokes delivered those words in multiple interviews in the wake of his team's loss in the second match of the Ashes versus Australia previously.
Ahead of the third Test, where the visitors are staring at a series loss with a match to spare, Stokes stated he had allowed his message to "circulate freely" among the squad.
"I've done all the talking in recent days that I needed to have done," said the England leader.
However, following the opener made 85 on the fourth 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 media with a pinch of salt," Crawley continued.
Raw Conversations and Steady Philosophy
The captain issued his "weak men" observation subsequent to his side suffered a loss in the second Test to go two matches behind.
The team afterwards took a break to Noosa in the gap between the second and third Tests.
Prior to the Adelaide contest, Stokes revealed his players had held "raw" conversations and he had urged them to "display some fight" in their effort to stay alive in the Ashes battle.
Yet, the Kent batsman stated the messaging from Stokes and head coach Brendon McCullum had stayed in line with their previous tenure in leadership.
"It's been extremely upbeat, unchanged," said Crawley. "It's on maintaining positivity, play our way, with lots of freedom. We believed we could do an extraordinary feat entering this Test."
The Hosts Close of Rapid Ashes Triumph
The opener's wicket on day four came during a decisive triple-strike by Australian off-spinner Lyon.
The spinner's three wickets in 20 deliveries – he also bowled Harry Brook and Stokes himself – meant the chasing side 207-6 in pursuit of a daunting target of 435.
This means, Australia need four wickets on the final day to move to an insurmountable three-nil lead after three Tests.
Defeat will extend the English team's winless run in Australia to 18 Tests and condemn them to a fourth straight overseas Ashes series loss.
This series will be completed in just 11 days of cricket – with England fell the first two Tests in rapid time each.
Not since 1921, when Australia completed victory in the UK in eight days, has the outcome of the Ashes urn been determined more swiftly. The hosts have also won in 11 days on two other occasions in the 21st century.
"It's disappointing," said Crawley. "Our goal was to regain the Ashes and now we are staring down the barrel now."
"There remains plenty to play for and we'll definitely view it with that mindset," Crawley added.
"The challenge has been tough. Australia is a very, very good team. It was inevitably hard touring here against them. They were the favourites and have demonstrated their quality."
Ollie Pope's Position Under Scrutiny
While the opener's performance in Adelaide probably answers questions about his immediate future in the England team, Ollie Pope looks under threat for his position in the Melbourne Test on Boxing Day.
Pope fell for 17 in England's second innings on Saturday, extending his modest returns against the old enemy.
In 16 Ashes innings, Pope has never made a half-century and averages 17.62.
Only one other England player in over a century – Amiss – has featured 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 under the microscope comes from "the media" – referring to the press – "not inside the camp."
"The squad is fully aware how good of a player he is," added he. "He has had a good year if I'm honest."
"He has produced some really good knocks. This is noise externally. There is no chat of that nature regarding Pope amongst the players," Crawley concluded.
