England opening batter Zak Crawley suggested he had no knowledge of comments from skipper Stokes regarding the team environment not being "weak men".
The all-rounder made those words in several conversations in the wake of England's loss in the second match of the Ashes versus the Australians previously.
In the lead-up to the third Test, where England are staring at defeat with a match to spare, the captain stated he had allowed his message to "drift around" within the playing group.
"I have completed all the talking over the past two days that I needed to have done," remarked Stokes.
However, following the opener scored a knock of 85 on the penultimate day in the third Test, he commented: "I missed those remarks."
"I wasn't actively searching for it. We take everything that is said in the press with some skepticism," Crawley continued.
Raw Conversations and Consistent Messaging
The captain made the "weak men" observation subsequent to England were beaten in Brisbane to fall two matches behind.
The team afterwards took a break to Noosa between the second and the upcoming matches.
Before the Adelaide contest, Stokes said his team had held "raw" conversations and he had asked them to "show a bit of dog" in their battle to remain alive in the Ashes battle.
Yet, Crawley stated the messaging from the captain and head coach Brendon McCullum had remained consistent with their prior three years in leadership.
"It's been extremely upbeat, the same as always," noted the opener. "It's just trying to be optimistic, play our way, with great liberty. It felt like we could do an extraordinary feat entering this Test."
The Hosts Close of Historic Ashes Triumph
The opener's dismissal on day four was part of a decisive triple-strike by Australia off-spinner Nathan Lyon.
The spinner's triple strike in a short spell – including the wickets of Harry Brook and Ben Stokes – left England 207-6 chasing a daunting target of 435 runs.
Consequently, the home team require just four more wickets on Sunday's last day to move to an insurmountable three-nil advantage after three matches played.
A loss will extend England's winless run in this country to 18 consecutive matches and ensure a fourth successive away Ashes series loss.
The current battle is set to be decided in just eleven days of cricket – with England losing the first two Tests in rapid time each.
The last time 1921, when the Australians sealed victory in the UK in eight days, has the outcome of the Ashes urn been determined so quickly. The hosts have also triumphed in eleven days on two other occasions in the modern era.
"This is disappointing," admitted the batsman. "We came here to win the Ashes and now we are facing elimination now."
"There remains plenty to play for and we'll definitely view it like that," Crawley added.
"It's been difficult. They're a very, very good team. It was inevitably tough coming here against them. They entered as the front-runners coming in to it have demonstrated their quality."
Pope's Place In Question
Although Crawley's performance in Adelaide likely secures doubts about his short-term future in the side, Ollie Pope looks under threat for his position in the fourth Test starting December 26th.
Pope fell for 17 runs in England's second innings on Saturday, adding to his poor record versus the old enemy.
In sixteen Ashes knocks, the Surrey man has never made a fifty and boasts an average of just 17.62.
Only one other England player since 1900 – Amiss – has featured as many times in the top six in the Ashes and returned a poorer average.
However, the opener insisted any notion Pope is being scrutinised originates with "you guys" – meaning the journalists – "not inside the camp."
"We all know of his considerable talent," said Crawley. "He has had a good year if I'm honest."
"He has played several excellent innings. It is talk from the outside. There is no chat like that on Ollie amongst the players," Crawley concluded.
