The English opening batter Zak Crawley suggested he had no knowledge of statements made by captain Stokes about the dressing room not being "those lacking fortitude".
The all-rounder delivered this message in multiple interviews following his team's loss in the second match of the Ashes series versus Australia earlier this month.
In the lead-up to the Adelaide Test, where the visitors are staring at a series loss at the earliest opportunity, the captain noted he had let his message to "drift around" among the squad.
"I've done all the talking over the past two days that I required," said the England leader.
But, following Crawley scored a knock of 85 on the penultimate day in Adelaide, he commented: "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 some skepticism," he added.
Raw Conversations and Steady Philosophy
Stokes issued his "fragile individuals" comment after England suffered a loss in the second Test to fall two matches behind.
The team afterwards went on a break to a Queensland resort in the gap between the second and third matches.
Prior to this match, Stokes revealed his players had held "honest" conversations and he had urged them to "display some fight" in their effort to remain alive in the series.
Yet, Crawley asserted the messaging from the captain and coach McCullum had stayed consistent with their previous tenure in leadership.
"The atmosphere has been very positive, the same as always," noted Crawley. "It's just trying to be optimistic, play our way, with great liberty. We believed we could do an extraordinary feat going into this Test."
Australia On the Verge of Rapid Series Victory
The opener's wicket on day four was part of a decisive triple-strike by Australia spinner Lyon.
Lyon's triple strike in a short spell – including the wickets of Brook and Stokes himself – left England 207-6 in pursuit of a notional target of 435.
Consequently, the home team need just four more wickets on Sunday's final day to secure an unassailable three-nil lead after three Tests.
Defeat would prolong England's winless run in Australia to 18 consecutive matches and condemn them to a fourth successive overseas Ashes series loss.
The current battle will be completed in just 11 days of play – after England fell the first two Tests in rapid time each.
Not since 1921, when the Australians sealed a series win in England in eight days, has the outcome of the Ashes urn been determined more swiftly. The hosts have also triumphed in eleven days on two other occasions in the 21st century.
"This is disappointing," admitted the batsman. "Our goal was to regain the Ashes and now we are staring down the barrel now."
"There will still be significant pride at stake and we will certainly approach it like that," he continued.
"It's been difficult. Australia is a formidable team. It was always going to be hard coming here against them. They entered as the front-runners and they've proven why."
Pope's Place In Question
While the opener's innings in the third Test probably answers doubts about his short-term place in the England team, Pope looks under threat for his spot in the Melbourne Test on Boxing Day.
The Surrey batsman was out for 17 in the team's second knock on Saturday, extending his modest returns against Australia.
In 16 Ashes innings, Pope has failed to score a half-century and boasts an average of 17.62.
A solitary other English batsman in over a century – Amiss – has featured as many times in the top order in Ashes Tests and recorded a poorer average.
But, the opener insisted any notion Pope is being scrutinised originates with "you guys" – referring to the press – "and not within the team."
"We all know how good of a player he is," said he. "He has had a good year to be frank."
"He has produced some really good knocks. This is talk from the outside. There is no chat like that on Ollie amongst the players," he finished.
