The English opening batter Zak Crawley suggested he was not familiar with comments made by captain Stokes regarding the dressing room not being "weak men".
Stokes delivered this message in multiple interviews in the wake of his team's defeat in the second Ashes versus Australia earlier this month.
Ahead of the Adelaide Test, where England are staring at a series loss at the earliest opportunity, the captain noted he had let his message to "circulate freely" within the squad.
"I have completed the necessary discussions over the past two days that I needed to have done," remarked Stokes.
However, following Crawley scored a knock of 85 on the fourth day in Adelaide, he commented: "I missed those remarks."
"I wasn't actively searching for it. Our approach is to take anything stated in the press with a pinch of salt," he added.
Frank Discussions and Steady Philosophy
Stokes made the "fragile individuals" observation after England suffered a loss in the second Test to fall two matches behind.
The team subsequently went on a break to a Queensland resort in the gap between the second and the upcoming matches.
Prior to this match, Stokes revealed his team had held "honest" conversations and he had urged them to "show a bit of dog" in their effort to remain alive in the Ashes battle.
Nevertheless, the Kent batsman asserted the guidance from Stokes and coach McCullum had remained consistent with their previous tenure in leadership.
"It's been very positive, unchanged," noted Crawley. "It's just trying to be optimistic, playing our brand, with lots of freedom. It felt like we were capable of an extraordinary feat going into this game."
The Hosts Close of Rapid Ashes Triumph
The opener's wicket on day four came during a decisive three-wicket burst by Australian off-spinner Nathan Lyon.
The spinner's three wickets in a short spell – he also bowled Harry Brook and Stokes himself – left England six down for 207 chasing a daunting target of 435.
This means, Australia require four wickets on the final day to move to an insurmountable 3-0 lead after three Tests.
Defeat would prolong the English team's winless run in this country to 18 Tests and ensure a fourth successive away Ashes defeat.
The current battle will be completed 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 sealed a series win in the UK in eight days, has the destination of the urn been decided more swiftly. The hosts have also won in 11 days on two other occasions in the 21st century.
"This is disheartening," said Crawley. "We came here to regain the Ashes and now we are staring down the barrel at this point."
"There will still be plenty to play for and we'll definitely view it with that mindset," Crawley added.
"It's been difficult. Australia is a formidable team. It was inevitably hard coming here to face them. They were the favourites coming in to it have demonstrated their quality."
Pope's Place Under Scrutiny
While the opener's performance in Adelaide probably answers questions about his immediate place in the side, Ollie Pope looks under threat for his position in the fourth Test on Boxing Day.
The Surrey batsman was out for 17 in England's second knock on Saturday, adding to his modest returns versus the old enemy.
Across sixteen Ashes knocks, Pope has never made a half-century and averages 17.62.
A solitary other England player since 1900 – Amiss – has played an equal number of innings in the top order in Ashes Tests and recorded a lower average.
But, Crawley said any notion his teammate is under the microscope comes from "you guys" – referring to the journalists – "and not within the team."
"We all know of his considerable talent," said Crawley. "Ollie has enjoyed a productive year to be frank."
"He has played several excellent innings. This is talk from the outside. There's no chat of that nature regarding Pope in the camp," Crawley concluded.
