The English opening batter Zak Crawley suggested he had no knowledge of comments made by captain Stokes regarding the dressing room not being "weak men".
Stokes delivered this message in multiple interviews following his team's defeat in the second match of the Ashes versus Australia previously.
Ahead of the third Test, where England now face defeat with a match to spare, the captain noted he had let his sentiment to "circulate freely" among the playing group.
"I have completed the necessary discussions in recent days that I required," remarked Stokes.
But, following the opener made 85 on the fourth day in the third Test, he stated: "I didn't see that."
"I didn't see and wasn't really looking out for it. Our approach is to take anything stated in the media with a pinch of salt," Crawley continued.
Raw Conversations and Consistent Messaging
The captain made the "fragile individuals" comment after his side suffered a loss in Brisbane to fall 2-0 down.
The England squad afterwards went on a break to Noosa in the gap between the second and third matches.
Before this match, Stokes revealed his team had held "honest" talks and he had asked them to "show a bit of dog" in their battle to remain alive in the Ashes battle.
Nevertheless, Crawley asserted the messaging from the captain and coach McCullum had stayed consistent with their previous tenure in charge.
"It's been very positive, unchanged," said Crawley. "It's just trying to be optimistic, playing our brand, with great liberty. We believed we were capable of something special going into this Test."
Australia On the Verge of Rapid Series Victory
The opener's dismissal on day four came during a crucial triple-strike by Australian off-spinner Nathan Lyon.
The spinner's three wickets in 20 deliveries – including the wickets of Brook and Ben Stokes – left the chasing side 207-6 chasing a notional total of 435 runs.
Consequently, the home team need just four more wickets on the last day to move to an unassailable three-nil advantage with three matches played.
A loss would prolong the English team's winless run in Australia to 18 consecutive matches and ensure a fourth straight away Ashes series loss.
This series is set to be decided in just eleven days of play – after England fell the first two Tests in two and four days each.
The last time 1921, when Australia sealed victory in the UK in eight days, has the outcome of the urn been determined so quickly. Australia have also won in 11 days on two other occasions in the modern era.
"It's disappointing," said the batsman. "We came here to win the Ashes and we're staring down the barrel now."
"There will still be significant pride at stake and we will definitely view it with that mindset," he continued.
"It's been difficult. Australia is a formidable team. It was always going to be tough coming here to face them. They were the front-runners coming in to it have demonstrated their quality."
Pope's Place Under Scrutiny
Although the opener's innings in the third Test probably answers questions about his short-term place in the England team, Pope appears under threat for his position in the Melbourne Test starting December 26th.
Pope was out for 17 runs in England's second innings on day four, extending his modest returns versus the old enemy.
In sixteen Ashes knocks, the Surrey man has failed to score a fifty and averages just 17.62.
A solitary other English batsman in over a century – Amiss – has featured an equal number of innings in the top six in the Ashes and recorded a lower average.
However, Crawley insisted any suggestion Pope is being scrutinised originates with "the media" – meaning the press – "and not within the team."
"We all know how good of a player he is," added he. "He has had a productive year to be frank."
"He has produced several excellent innings. This is talk externally. There is no discussion like that on Ollie amongst the players," Crawley finished.
