England opener Zak Crawley suggested he had no knowledge of statements from skipper Stokes regarding the dressing room as no place for "those lacking fortitude".
The all-rounder delivered those words in multiple interviews in the wake of his team's loss in the second match of the Ashes series against Australia previously.
In the lead-up to the Adelaide Test, where the visitors are staring at defeat with a match to spare, the captain stated he had allowed his sentiment to "circulate freely" within the playing group.
"I have completed the necessary discussions over the past two days that I needed to have done," remarked the England leader.
However, following Crawley scored a knock of 85 on the fourth day in Adelaide, he commented: "I didn't see that."
"I didn't see and wasn't really looking out for it. We take everything that is said in the media with a pinch of salt," Crawley continued.
Frank Discussions and Consistent Messaging
The captain made the "fragile individuals" observation subsequent to England were beaten in the second Test to go 2-0 down.
The team afterwards took a break to a Queensland resort between the second and the upcoming matches.
Prior to the Adelaide contest, Stokes said his team had held "raw" talks and he had urged them to "display some fight" in their battle to stay in contention in the series.
Nevertheless, Crawley asserted the messaging from the captain and head coach Brendon McCullum had stayed in line with their previous tenure in leadership.
"The atmosphere has been very positive, unchanged," said Crawley. "The focus is on maintaining positivity, playing our brand, with lots of freedom. We believed we were capable of an extraordinary feat going into this game."
The Hosts On the Verge of Rapid Ashes Triumph
The opener's wicket late on Saturday came during a crucial three-wicket burst by Australia off-spinner Lyon.
The spinner's triple strike in a short spell – including the wickets of Brook and Stokes himself – meant England 207-6 chasing a daunting target of 435.
Consequently, the home team need just four more wickets on Sunday's final day to move to an insurmountable 3-0 lead with three Tests.
Defeat would prolong the English team's winless run in this country to 18 consecutive matches and ensure a fourth straight away Ashes series loss.
This series is set to be decided in only eleven days of play – with England fell the first two Tests in two and four days respectively.
The last time 1921, when the Australians completed victory in England in eight days, has the destination of the Ashes urn been determined so quickly. The hosts have also won in 11 days on two other instances in the modern era.
"This is disheartening," admitted Crawley. "We came here to win the Ashes and now we are facing elimination now."
"There remains plenty to play for and we will certainly approach it with that mindset," Crawley added.
"It's been tough. They're a very, very good side. It was always going to be tough touring here to face them. They were the favourites and have demonstrated their quality."
Pope's Place In Question
Although the opener's innings in Adelaide likely secures doubts about his short-term future in the England team, Pope looks under threat for his spot in the fourth Test on Boxing Day.
The Surrey batsman was out for 17 runs in the team's second knock on Saturday, adding to his modest returns versus Australia.
Across 16 Ashes innings, Pope has failed to score a fifty and boasts an average of 17.62.
Only one other England player since 1900 – Amiss – has featured an equal number of innings in the top order in the Ashes and recorded a lower average.
But, the opener said any suggestion Pope is being scrutinised originates with "you guys" – meaning the press – "not inside the camp."
"We all know how good of a player he is," said Crawley. "He has had a productive year to be frank."
"He has produced some really good knocks. It is talk from the outside. There's no discussion of that nature regarding Pope amongst the players," Crawley concluded.
