The English opener Zak Crawley has indicated he had no knowledge of statements from captain Stokes about the dressing room not being "those lacking fortitude".
Stokes made this message in several interviews in the wake of England's defeat in the second Ashes against the Australians earlier this month.
Ahead of the third Test, where the visitors now face defeat with a match to spare, the captain noted he had allowed his message to "drift around" within the squad.
"I have completed the necessary discussions in recent days that I needed to have done," remarked the England leader.
But, after the opener made 85 on the penultimate day in Adelaide, he stated: "I missed those remarks."
"I didn't see and wasn't really looking out for it. Our approach is to take anything stated in the press with a pinch of salt," he added.
Raw Conversations and Consistent Messaging
The captain made the "weak men" observation after his side suffered a loss in Brisbane to fall two matches behind.
The team afterwards went on a break to a Queensland resort in the gap between the second and third Tests.
Before the Adelaide contest, Stokes said his players had held "honest" conversations and he had asked them to "display some fight" in their effort to stay alive in the Ashes battle.
Nevertheless, Crawley asserted the guidance from the captain and coach Brendon McCullum had stayed in line with their prior tenure in leadership.
"It's been very positive, unchanged," said Crawley. "The focus is just trying to be optimistic, playing our brand, with great liberty. We believed we could do an extraordinary feat going into this Test."
The Hosts Close of Historic Series Victory
Crawley's dismissal late on Saturday came during a decisive triple-strike by Australia off-spinner Lyon.
Lyon's triple strike in a short spell – he also bowled Harry Brook and Stokes himself – left England 207-6 chasing a notional total of 435 runs.
Consequently, the home team require just four more wickets on the last day to move to an insurmountable 3-0 lead with three matches played.
A loss would prolong England's winless run in this country to 18 Tests and ensure a fourth straight overseas Ashes loss.
This series is set to be decided in just eleven days of cricket – after England losing the initial matches in rapid time each.
The last time 1921, when the Australians completed a series win in the UK in eight days, has the destination of the Ashes urn been decided so quickly. The hosts have also won in 11 days on two other occasions in the modern era.
"This is disheartening," said the batsman. "We came here to win the Ashes and now we are facing elimination now."
"There will still be plenty to play for and we will definitely view it like that," he continued.
"The challenge has been difficult. They're a very, very good side. It was inevitably tough touring here against them. They were the front-runners coming in to it have demonstrated their quality."
Pope's Position In Question
While the opener's innings in Adelaide likely secures questions about his immediate place in the England team, Ollie Pope looks under threat for his position in the Melbourne Test on Boxing Day.
Pope fell for 17 runs in England's second innings on day four, adding to his poor record against the old enemy.
Across 16 Ashes innings, the Surrey man has failed to score a fifty and averages 17.62.
Only one other England player in over a century – Dennis Amiss – has featured as many times in the top order in Ashes Tests and recorded a poorer average.
However, Crawley said any suggestion Pope is being scrutinised comes from "the media" – meaning the press – "and not within the team."
"We all know of his considerable talent," added he. "Ollie has enjoyed a good year if I'm honest."
"He has produced some really good knocks. This is talk externally. There's no discussion of that nature on Ollie in the camp," Crawley concluded.
