England opener Zak Crawley has indicated he had no knowledge of comments from skipper Stokes about the dressing room not being "those lacking fortitude".
The all-rounder delivered this message in several conversations following England's defeat in the second match of the Ashes series versus the Australians earlier this month.
Ahead of the third Test, where England are staring at defeat with a match to spare, the captain noted he had let his sentiment to "circulate freely" within the playing group.
"I've done all the talking in recent days that I needed to have done," remarked Stokes.
But, after the opener scored 85 on the fourth day in Adelaide, he stated: "I didn't see that."
"I wasn't actively searching for it. We take everything that is said in the media with some skepticism," he added.
Frank Discussions and Steady Philosophy
The captain made the "weak men" comment after England suffered a loss in the second Test to fall 2-0 down.
The England squad subsequently went on a break to a Queensland resort in the gap between the second and the upcoming Tests.
Before the Adelaide contest, he revealed his players had held "raw" conversations and he had asked them to "show a bit of dog" in their effort to stay alive in the Ashes battle.
Yet, the Kent batsman stated the messaging from the captain and coach McCullum had remained in line with their previous three years in leadership.
"It's been very positive, the same as always," noted Crawley. "The focus is just trying to be optimistic, play our way, with lots of freedom. We believed we were capable of something special entering this game."
Australia Close of Rapid Ashes Triumph
The opener's dismissal on day four was part of a crucial three-wicket burst by Australia spinner Lyon.
The spinner's three wickets in a short spell – he also bowled Harry Brook and Stokes himself – left England 207-6 in pursuit of a notional target of 435.
Consequently, the home team require four wickets on the last day to move to an unassailable three-nil lead with three Tests.
Defeat would prolong the English team's drought in this country to 18 consecutive matches and ensure a fourth successive away Ashes loss.
This series is set to be decided in only 11 days of play – with England fell the initial matches in rapid time respectively.
Not since 1921, when the Australians sealed victory in the UK in eight days, has the destination of the Ashes urn been determined more swiftly. Australia have also triumphed in 11 days on two other occasions in the 21st century.
"This is disappointing," said Crawley. "We came here to win the Ashes and now we are staring down the barrel now."
"There remains significant pride at stake and we'll certainly approach it with that mindset," he continued.
"The challenge has been difficult. Australia is a formidable team. It was inevitably tough coming here against them. They entered as the front-runners and have demonstrated their quality."
Ollie Pope's Position In Question
Although the opener's innings in the third Test likely secures doubts about his immediate place in the England team, Ollie Pope looks under immense pressure for his spot in the fourth Test on Boxing Day.
The Surrey batsman fell for 17 in the team's second knock on Saturday, extending his modest returns against the old enemy.
Across 16 Ashes innings, Pope has never made a fifty and boasts an average of 17.62.
Only one other English batsman since 1900 – Amiss – has played an equal number of innings in the top six in the Ashes and returned a lower average.
But, the opener insisted any suggestion Pope is under the microscope comes from "the media" – referring to the press – "and not within the team."
"The squad is fully aware of his considerable talent," said he. "Ollie has enjoyed a productive year if I'm honest."
"He has played several excellent innings. It is talk from the outside. There's no discussion like that on Ollie amongst the players," Crawley concluded.
