England opener Zak Crawley suggested he was not familiar with statements from captain Stokes about the team environment as no place for "weak men".
The all-rounder delivered this message in multiple interviews following his team's defeat in the second match of the Ashes series versus Australia earlier this month.
In the lead-up to the third Test, where England now face defeat with a match to spare, the captain noted he had allowed his message to "circulate freely" within the squad.
"I have completed all the talking over the past two days that I needed to have done," said Stokes.
However, following the opener made 85 on the penultimate day in the third Test, he commented: "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.
Raw Conversations and Consistent Messaging
Stokes issued his "fragile individuals" comment subsequent to his side were beaten in Brisbane to fall two matches behind.
The England squad subsequently went on a break to a Queensland resort between the second and third Tests.
Before the Adelaide contest, he said his team had held "raw" talks and he had urged them to "display some fight" in their effort to remain in contention in the series.
Nevertheless, Crawley stated the guidance from the captain and head coach Brendon McCullum had remained in line with their previous tenure in leadership.
"The atmosphere has been very positive, the same as always," said Crawley. "It's on maintaining positivity, playing our brand, with great liberty. It felt like we were capable of an extraordinary feat going into this game."
Australia On the Verge of Rapid Series Victory
Crawley's dismissal late on Saturday came during a crucial triple-strike by Australian off-spinner Lyon.
The spinner's three wickets in 20 deliveries – he also bowled Harry Brook and Ben Stokes – meant England six down for 207 in pursuit of a notional total of 435 runs.
Consequently, Australia need just four more wickets on Sunday's final day to move to an insurmountable three-nil advantage with three matches played.
Defeat would prolong England's drought in this country to 18 consecutive matches and ensure a fourth successive away Ashes series defeat.
This series is set to be decided in only eleven days of cricket – with England fell the initial matches in two and four days each.
Not since 1921, when the Australians completed a series win in the UK in eight days, has the destination of the Ashes urn been decided more swiftly. The hosts have also triumphed in eleven days on two other occasions in the modern era.
"It's disheartening," said the batsman. "Our goal was to regain the Ashes and we're facing elimination now."
"There remains plenty to play for and we'll certainly approach it with that mindset," he continued.
"The challenge has been difficult. They're a very, very good team. It was inevitably tough coming here to face them. They were the front-runners and have demonstrated their quality."
Ollie Pope's Position Under Scrutiny
Although the opener's innings in the third Test likely secures doubts about his short-term place in the England team, Pope appears under threat for his position in the fourth Test on Boxing Day.
Pope was out for 17 runs in England's second knock on Saturday, extending his poor record against the old enemy.
Across 16 Ashes innings, Pope has never made a fifty and boasts an average of just 17.62.
Only one other English batsman since 1900 – Amiss – has played as many times in the top order in Ashes Tests and recorded a lower average.
But, the opener said any notion his teammate is under the microscope comes from "you guys" – meaning the journalists – "and not within the team."
"The squad is fully aware how good of a player he is," added he. "Ollie has enjoyed a good year to be frank."
"He has produced several excellent innings. It is talk from the outside. There's no chat like that regarding Pope in the camp," he finished.
