England opener Zak Crawley has indicated he was not familiar with comments from captain Stokes regarding the team environment not being "those lacking fortitude".
The all-rounder delivered this message in multiple conversations following England's loss in the second Ashes series against Australia previously.
Ahead of the Adelaide Test, where England now face defeat at the earliest opportunity, the captain noted he had let his message to "drift around" among the playing group.
"I've done all the talking over the past two days that I required," remarked the England leader.
But, after Crawley scored a knock of 85 on the fourth day in Adelaide, he stated: "I didn't see that."
"I wasn't actively searching for it. We take anything stated in the media with a pinch of salt," he added.
Frank Discussions and Steady Philosophy
The captain issued his "weak men" observation after England were beaten in Brisbane to go 2-0 down.
The team afterwards took a holiday to a Queensland resort in the gap between the second and third Tests.
Prior to the Adelaide contest, Stokes said his team had held "honest" conversations and he had urged them to "show a bit of dog" in their effort to stay in contention in the series.
Yet, Crawley asserted the guidance from the captain and coach McCullum had remained in line with their previous three years in charge.
"It's been very positive, unchanged," noted the opener. "It's on maintaining positivity, play our way, with great liberty. We believed we could do something special entering this Test."
The Hosts Close of Rapid Ashes Triumph
Crawley's wicket late on Saturday came during a crucial three-wicket burst by Australia off-spinner Lyon.
Lyon's triple strike in a short spell – including the wickets of Brook and Stokes himself – meant England 207-6 in pursuit of a notional target of 435 runs.
This means, the home team require just four more wickets on Sunday's final day to move to an unassailable 3-0 lead with three matches played.
A loss will extend the English team's drought in Australia to 18 Tests and ensure a fourth straight overseas Ashes defeat.
The current battle is set to be decided in just 11 days of cricket – after England losing the initial matches in rapid time respectively.
Not since 1921, when Australia sealed victory in England in eight days, has the destination of the Ashes urn been decided so quickly. The hosts have also triumphed in eleven days on two other occasions in the modern era.
"This is disappointing," said Crawley. "We came here to win the Ashes and we're facing elimination now."
"There will still be plenty to play for and we will certainly approach it with that mindset," Crawley added.
"The challenge has been tough. Australia is a formidable team. It was inevitably tough coming here against them. They entered as the front-runners and they've proven why."
Ollie Pope's Place Under Scrutiny
Although the opener's performance in the third Test likely secures doubts about his immediate future in the side, Ollie Pope appears under threat for his spot in the Melbourne Test starting December 26th.
Pope was out for 17 runs in England's second knock on Saturday, adding to his modest returns against Australia.
In 16 Ashes innings, Pope has failed to score a half-century and boasts an average of 17.62.
A solitary other England player since 1900 – Amiss – has featured as many times in the top six in the Ashes and returned a lower average.
However, Crawley said any notion his teammate is under the microscope originates with "you guys" – referring to the press – "and not within the team."
"We all know how good of a player he is," added he. "Ollie has enjoyed a productive year to be frank."
"He has produced some really good knocks. It is talk externally. There's no chat like that regarding Pope in the camp," Crawley concluded.
