The English opening batter Zak Crawley suggested he had no knowledge of comments from skipper Stokes about the team environment not being "those lacking fortitude".
Stokes delivered those words in several conversations in the wake of his team's loss in the second Ashes series versus the Australians previously.
Ahead of the third Test, where England now face defeat at the earliest opportunity, Stokes noted he had allowed his sentiment to "drift around" within the squad.
"I have completed all the talking over the past two days that I required," said Stokes.
However, after the opener scored a knock of 85 on the fourth day in the third Test, he commented: "I missed those remarks."
"I wasn't actively searching for it. Our approach is to take anything stated in the media with some skepticism," Crawley continued.
Frank Discussions and Steady Philosophy
The captain made the "weak men" observation after England suffered a loss in the second Test to go two matches behind.
The team subsequently took a holiday to Noosa in the gap between the second and the upcoming matches.
Prior to the Adelaide contest, he revealed his players had held "honest" conversations and he had asked them to "display some fight" in their effort to remain in contention in the series.
Nevertheless, Crawley asserted the guidance from Stokes and coach McCullum had stayed in line with their previous three years in charge.
"It's been very positive, the same as always," said Crawley. "It's just trying to be optimistic, playing our brand, with great liberty. We believed we could do something special entering this Test."
The Hosts On the Verge of Historic Ashes Triumph
The opener's wicket late on Saturday was part of a crucial three-wicket burst by Australian spinner Nathan Lyon.
Lyon's triple strike in 20 deliveries – including the wickets of Brook and Stokes himself – left England six down for 207 chasing a daunting target of 435.
This means, Australia require just four more wickets on the final day to secure an unassailable three-nil advantage with three matches played.
A loss 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 is set to be decided in only 11 days of cricket – with England fell the initial matches in two and four days respectively.
Not since 1921, when the Australians completed victory in the UK in eight days, has the outcome of the Ashes urn been determined more swiftly. Australia have also triumphed in eleven days on two other instances in the 21st century.
"It's disappointing," admitted Crawley. "Our goal was to win the Ashes and we're staring down the barrel now."
"There will still be significant pride at stake and we'll certainly approach it with that mindset," he continued.
"It's been difficult. They're a formidable team. It was inevitably tough coming here to face them. They entered as the front-runners and they've proven why."
Pope's Place In Question
Although the opener's performance in the third Test probably answers doubts about his short-term future in the side, Ollie Pope looks under immense pressure for his position in the Melbourne Test starting December 26th.
The Surrey batsman was out for 17 in England's second knock on Saturday, adding to his modest returns versus Australia.
In sixteen Ashes knocks, Pope has never made a fifty and averages just 17.62.
Only one other England player in over a century – Dennis Amiss – has featured an equal number of innings in the top order in Ashes Tests and recorded a poorer average.
But, the opener said any notion his teammate is under the microscope comes from "the media" – meaning the press – "not inside the camp."
"We all know how good of a player he is," said he. "Ollie has enjoyed a productive year to be frank."
"He has produced some really good knocks. It is talk externally. There is no discussion like that regarding Pope amongst the players," Crawley finished.
