The English opening batter Zak Crawley suggested he had no knowledge of statements made by captain Stokes regarding the team environment not being "weak men".
The all-rounder delivered those words in several interviews in the wake of England's loss in the second Ashes against Australia previously.
In the lead-up to the Adelaide Test, where England are staring at a series loss with a match to spare, Stokes noted he had let his sentiment to "circulate freely" within the playing group.
"I've done all the talking over the past two days that I needed to have done," remarked the England leader.
But, after the opener scored 85 on the penultimate day in Adelaide, he commented: "I missed those remarks."
"I wasn't actively searching for it. Our approach is to take everything that is said in the press with a pinch of salt," he added.
Raw Conversations and Consistent Messaging
Stokes made the "weak men" comment after England were beaten in the second Test to go 2-0 down.
The England squad subsequently went on a holiday to Noosa between the second and third Tests.
Before this match, Stokes said his players had held "raw" conversations and he had asked them to "display some fight" in their effort to remain in contention in the series.
Nevertheless, the Kent batsman stated the guidance from the captain and head coach McCullum had stayed in line with their prior tenure in leadership.
"The atmosphere has been extremely upbeat, unchanged," noted the opener. "The focus is just trying to be optimistic, playing our brand, with lots of freedom. We believed we could do something special going into this Test."
Australia On the Verge of Rapid Series Victory
The opener's wicket on day four was part of a crucial triple-strike by Australian off-spinner Nathan Lyon.
Lyon's three wickets in 20 deliveries – including the wickets of Brook and Stokes himself – meant England 207-6 chasing a notional total of 435 runs.
Consequently, the home team require four wickets on Sunday's last day to secure an insurmountable three-nil advantage with three matches played.
Defeat would prolong the English team's drought in Australia to 18 Tests and ensure a fourth straight overseas Ashes defeat.
This series is set to be decided in only 11 days of play – after England fell the first two Tests in two and four days respectively.
The last time 1921, when the Australians completed a series win in England in eight days, has the outcome of the Ashes urn been determined so quickly. The hosts have also won in 11 days on two other instances in the 21st century.
"This is disheartening," said the batsman. "Our goal was to win the Ashes and we're facing elimination now."
"There will still be significant pride at stake and we will certainly approach it with that mindset," he continued.
"The challenge has been tough. Australia is a very, very good side. It was always going to be hard coming here against them. They entered as the front-runners coming in to it they've proven why."
Ollie Pope's Place In Question
While the opener's innings in Adelaide likely secures doubts about his short-term place in the England team, Pope looks under immense pressure for his position in the Melbourne Test on Boxing Day.
The Surrey batsman fell for 17 in England's second knock on day four, extending his poor record against the old enemy.
In 16 Ashes innings, Pope has failed to score a half-century and boasts an average of just 17.62.
Only one other English batsman since 1900 – Dennis Amiss – has played an equal number of innings in the top order in the Ashes and returned a poorer average.
However, Crawley said any notion his teammate is being scrutinised originates with "the media" – meaning the press – "and not within the team."
"We all know of his considerable talent," added Crawley. "He has had a productive year if I'm honest."
"He has produced some really good knocks. It is talk externally. There is no discussion of that nature regarding Pope amongst the players," he concluded.
