England opener Zak Crawley has indicated he was not familiar with comments made by captain Stokes about the team environment not being "those lacking fortitude".
Stokes delivered this message in several interviews following his team's loss in the second Ashes against Australia earlier this month.
In the lead-up to the third Test, where the visitors are staring at defeat with a match to spare, Stokes stated he had let his sentiment to "drift around" among the playing group.
"I have completed all the talking over the past two days that I needed to have done," said the England leader.
But, after the opener made a knock of 85 on the penultimate day in Adelaide, he commented: "I didn't see that."
"I wasn't actively searching for it. We take anything stated in the press with some skepticism," Crawley continued.
Frank Discussions and Consistent Messaging
The captain made the "weak men" observation subsequent to England suffered a loss in Brisbane to go 2-0 down.
The team subsequently went on a break to Noosa between the second and the upcoming matches.
Before the Adelaide contest, Stokes said his players had held "honest" conversations and he had urged them to "display some fight" in their battle to remain in contention in the series.
Yet, the Kent batsman stated the guidance from Stokes and head coach McCullum had stayed consistent with their previous three years in leadership.
"It's been extremely upbeat, unchanged," said Crawley. "It's just trying to be optimistic, play our way, with lots of freedom. It felt like we were capable of an extraordinary feat entering this game."
The Hosts Close of Rapid Series Victory
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 – he also bowled Brook and Stokes himself – meant the chasing side six down for 207 chasing a daunting total of 435.
Consequently, Australia require four wickets on the final day to secure an unassailable three-nil advantage after three matches played.
Defeat will extend the English team's winless run in Australia to 18 Tests and condemn them to a fourth straight overseas Ashes defeat.
This series will be completed in only 11 days of cricket – with England fell the initial matches in rapid time each.
The last time 1921, when Australia sealed a series win in England in eight days, has the outcome of the urn been decided so quickly. The hosts have also won in 11 days on two other instances in the 21st century.
"It's disappointing," said the batsman. "We came here to win the Ashes and now we are facing elimination 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 tough touring here to face them. They were the front-runners coming in to it they've proven why."
Ollie Pope's Place In Question
While Crawley's performance in the third Test likely secures doubts about his short-term place in the England team, Pope appears under threat for his position in the Melbourne Test on Boxing Day.
Pope was out for 17 runs in the team's second knock on day four, extending his poor record versus the old enemy.
Across sixteen Ashes knocks, the Surrey man has never made a half-century and boasts an average of just 17.62.
A solitary other English batsman since 1900 – Amiss – has featured an equal number of innings in the top six in the Ashes and returned a poorer average.
But, the opener insisted any notion Pope is under the microscope comes from "the media" – meaning the press – "and not within the team."
"We all know of his considerable talent," said Crawley. "Ollie has enjoyed a productive year to be frank."
"He has produced several excellent innings. It is noise from the outside. There is no chat like that on Ollie in the camp," he finished.
