England opening batter Zak Crawley has indicated he had no knowledge of statements made by skipper Stokes regarding the dressing room as no place for "those lacking fortitude".
Stokes made this message in several conversations following England's loss in the second Ashes versus the Australians previously.
Ahead of the Adelaide Test, where the visitors are staring at defeat at the earliest opportunity, the captain stated he had allowed his message to "drift around" among the playing group.
"I have completed all the talking over the past two days that I required," remarked Stokes.
However, following Crawley made a knock of 85 on the penultimate day in the third Test, he commented: "I didn't see that."
"I didn't see and wasn't really looking out 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 "fragile individuals" observation subsequent to his side were beaten in the second Test to fall two matches behind.
The team afterwards took a holiday to Noosa in the gap between the second and third Tests.
Before the Adelaide contest, he revealed his team had held "raw" conversations and he had urged them to "display some fight" in their effort to remain in contention in the Ashes battle.
Nevertheless, Crawley stated the messaging from Stokes and coach McCullum had stayed in line with their prior tenure in leadership.
"It's been very positive, the same as always," noted the opener. "The focus is on maintaining positivity, play our way, with great liberty. We believed we could do something special entering this game."
Australia Close of Rapid Series Victory
Crawley's wicket late on Saturday was part of a decisive three-wicket burst by Australia off-spinner Nathan Lyon.
The spinner's three wickets in 20 deliveries – including the wickets of Brook and Ben Stokes – left England six down for 207 chasing a notional target of 435.
Consequently, the home team need just four more wickets on Sunday's last day to move to an insurmountable 3-0 lead after 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 loss.
The current battle is set to be decided in just 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 the UK in eight days, has the destination of the Ashes urn been decided more swiftly. Australia have also triumphed in 11 days on two other occasions in the modern era.
"It's disappointing," admitted Crawley. "We came here to regain the Ashes and we're staring down the barrel at this point."
"There remains significant pride at stake and we'll certainly approach it with that mindset," he continued.
"It's been tough. They're a very, very good side. It was inevitably tough coming here against them. They entered as the favourites and have demonstrated their quality."
Ollie Pope's Place In Question
While Crawley's innings in Adelaide likely secures doubts about his immediate future in the England team, Pope appears under threat for his spot in the fourth Test starting December 26th.
Pope fell for 17 in the team's second knock on Saturday, adding to his poor record versus the old enemy.
In 16 Ashes innings, the Surrey man has never made a half-century and averages just 17.62.
Only one other England player in over a century – Dennis Amiss – has played an equal number of innings in the top order in the Ashes and returned a poorer average.
But, the opener insisted any suggestion Pope is under the microscope originates with "the media" – meaning the press – "not inside the camp."
"We all know of his considerable talent," added he. "Ollie has enjoyed a good year to be frank."
"He has produced some really good knocks. This is noise from the outside. There is no chat of that nature on Ollie in the camp," he concluded.
