England opener Zak Crawley has indicated he was not familiar with comments made by captain Stokes about the team environment as no place for "weak men".
Stokes made this message in several conversations following his team's loss in the second Ashes versus the Australians earlier this month.
In the lead-up to the Adelaide Test, where England are staring at a series loss with a match to spare, the captain stated he had allowed his sentiment to "circulate freely" among the squad.
"I have completed all the talking in recent days that I needed to have done," remarked Stokes.
However, after Crawley made 85 on the penultimate day in Adelaide, he stated: "I missed those remarks."
"I wasn't actively searching for it. We take anything stated in the press with some skepticism," he added.
Frank Discussions and Consistent Messaging
The captain made the "weak men" comment after his side suffered a loss in Brisbane to go two matches behind.
The team subsequently went on a break to Noosa between the second and third Tests.
Prior to this match, he revealed his players had held "honest" talks and he had asked them to "show a bit of dog" in their effort to stay alive in the Ashes battle.
Nevertheless, Crawley asserted the guidance from Stokes and coach McCullum had stayed in line with their prior three years in charge.
"The atmosphere has been extremely upbeat, unchanged," said the opener. "It's just trying to be optimistic, play our way, with great liberty. We believed we were capable of an extraordinary feat entering this game."
The Hosts On the Verge of Rapid Series Victory
Crawley's dismissal on day four was part of a crucial triple-strike by Australian off-spinner Nathan Lyon.
The spinner's three wickets in 20 deliveries – he also bowled Harry Brook and Stokes himself – left England 207-6 chasing a daunting target of 435.
Consequently, Australia need four wickets on the last day to move to an insurmountable three-nil advantage with three Tests.
Defeat would prolong the English team's winless run in Australia to 18 consecutive matches and ensure a fourth straight overseas Ashes series defeat.
This series will be completed in just 11 days of cricket – after England losing the first two Tests in two and four days each.
Not since 1921, when the Australians sealed victory in the UK in eight days, has the destination of the Ashes urn been determined more swiftly. The hosts have also won in eleven days on two other instances in the modern era.
"This is disappointing," admitted the batsman. "Our goal was to win the Ashes and now we are facing elimination now."
"There remains significant pride at stake and we will definitely view it with that mindset," he continued.
"The challenge has been difficult. They're a very, very good team. It was always going to be hard touring here to face them. They entered as the front-runners coming in to it have demonstrated their quality."
Ollie Pope's Position Under Scrutiny
Although the opener's innings in Adelaide likely secures doubts about his short-term place in the side, Ollie Pope looks under threat for his position in the fourth Test on Boxing Day.
Pope fell for 17 runs in England's second innings on Saturday, adding to his modest returns against Australia.
In sixteen Ashes knocks, Pope has never made a half-century and boasts an average of 17.62.
Only one other England player since 1900 – Amiss – has played an equal number of innings in the top order in Ashes Tests and returned a poorer average.
However, the opener insisted any suggestion Pope is under the microscope comes from "the media" – 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 productive year to be frank."
"He has produced some really good knocks. This is noise externally. There's no discussion of that nature on Ollie in the camp," he finished.
