England opening batter Zak Crawley has indicated he had no knowledge of statements from captain Stokes regarding the team environment as no place for "those lacking fortitude".
Stokes delivered those words in several interviews in the wake of England's defeat in the second Ashes versus Australia earlier this month.
In the lead-up to the third Test, where the visitors now face a series loss at the earliest opportunity, the captain stated he had allowed his message to "drift around" among the squad.
"I have completed the necessary discussions in recent days that I required," said the England leader.
However, after Crawley made a knock of 85 on the penultimate day in the third Test, he stated: "I missed those remarks."
"I wasn't actively searching for it. Our approach is to take everything that is said in the media with a pinch of salt," he added.
Raw Conversations and Steady Philosophy
The captain made the "weak men" observation subsequent to England suffered a loss in the second Test to go two matches behind.
The team afterwards went on a break to Noosa in the gap between the second and third matches.
Before the Adelaide contest, he revealed his team had held "raw" conversations and he had urged them to "display some fight" in their battle to stay alive in the Ashes battle.
Nevertheless, Crawley asserted the guidance from Stokes and head coach Brendon McCullum had stayed in line with their previous tenure in leadership.
"The atmosphere has been extremely upbeat, the same as always," noted Crawley. "The focus is on maintaining positivity, playing our brand, with great liberty. We believed we could do something special entering this game."
Australia On the Verge of Rapid Series Victory
The opener's dismissal on day four was part of a crucial triple-strike by Australia off-spinner Nathan Lyon.
The spinner's triple strike in 20 deliveries – including the wickets of Harry Brook and Stokes himself – left the chasing side 207-6 in pursuit of a daunting total of 435.
This means, Australia require just four more wickets on Sunday's final day to move to an insurmountable 3-0 advantage after three Tests.
Defeat would prolong the English team's drought in Australia to 18 Tests and condemn them to a fourth straight away Ashes defeat.
This series is set to be decided in just eleven days of cricket – with England losing the first two Tests in two and four days each.
Not since 1921, when Australia completed victory in England in eight days, has the outcome of the urn been determined more swiftly. Australia have also triumphed in 11 days on two other occasions in the modern era.
"It's disheartening," admitted Crawley. "We came here to win the Ashes and we're facing elimination at this point."
"There remains plenty to play for and we'll certainly approach it with that mindset," he continued.
"It's been tough. They're a formidable team. It was always going to be tough coming here against them. They were the favourites coming in to it they've proven why."
Ollie Pope's Place Under Scrutiny
While the opener's innings in Adelaide probably answers doubts about his immediate place in the side, Ollie Pope appears under immense pressure for his spot in the fourth Test starting December 26th.
The Surrey batsman fell for 17 in the team's second knock on Saturday, extending his poor record versus Australia.
In 16 Ashes innings, Pope has never made a half-century and boasts an average of just 17.62.
A solitary other England player since 1900 – Dennis Amiss – has featured an equal number of innings in the top order in Ashes Tests and recorded a lower average.
But, the opener insisted any suggestion his teammate is being scrutinised originates with "the media" – referring to the press – "and not within the team."
"We all know of his considerable talent," added he. "Ollie has enjoyed a good year to be frank."
"He has played some really good knocks. It is noise from the outside. There's no chat of that nature regarding Pope amongst the players," Crawley concluded.
