England opening batter Zak Crawley has indicated he was not familiar with comments from skipper Stokes about the team environment as no place for "those lacking fortitude".
The all-rounder delivered this message in several conversations in the wake of England's defeat in the second Ashes versus the Australians earlier this month.
Ahead of the Adelaide Test, where England now face defeat at the earliest opportunity, Stokes stated he had allowed his message to "circulate freely" within the squad.
"I've done all the talking over the past two days that I needed to have done," remarked the England leader.
However, after the opener scored 85 on the penultimate day in Adelaide, he commented: "I missed those remarks."
"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 after his side suffered a loss in the second Test to fall two matches behind.
The England squad subsequently took a holiday to Noosa between the second and third Tests.
Prior to the Adelaide contest, Stokes said his team had held "honest" conversations and he had urged them to "show a bit of dog" in their battle to remain in contention in the Ashes battle.
Yet, the Kent batsman stated the messaging from the captain and coach Brendon McCullum had stayed consistent with their prior three years in leadership.
"The atmosphere has been very positive, unchanged," said the opener. "The focus is on maintaining positivity, play our way, with lots of freedom. We believed we were capable of something special going into this game."
The Hosts On the Verge of Rapid Ashes Triumph
The opener's wicket on day four was part of a crucial three-wicket burst by Australian spinner Nathan Lyon.
Lyon's three wickets in a short spell – including the wickets of Harry Brook and Stokes himself – left England 207-6 in pursuit of a notional total of 435 runs.
This means, Australia require just four more wickets on the last day to move to an insurmountable three-nil advantage with three Tests.
A loss will extend the English team's winless run in Australia to 18 Tests and condemn them to a fourth successive away Ashes series loss.
This series is set to be decided in only 11 days of play – after England losing the initial matches in rapid time each.
Not since 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 occasions in the 21st century.
"This is disheartening," admitted Crawley. "Our goal was to regain the Ashes and now we are facing elimination at this point."
"There will still be significant pride at stake and we'll definitely view it like that," he continued.
"It's been difficult. Australia is a formidable team. It was inevitably tough touring here against them. They were the favourites and they've proven why."
Pope's Position Under Scrutiny
Although the opener's performance in Adelaide probably answers doubts about his short-term place in the side, Pope appears under threat for his position in the Melbourne Test on Boxing Day.
Pope fell for 17 runs in the team's second knock on Saturday, adding to his poor record versus Australia.
Across 16 Ashes innings, Pope has never made a half-century and averages 17.62.
A solitary other England player in over a century – Dennis Amiss – has played as many times in the top six in the Ashes and returned a poorer average.
However, Crawley insisted any suggestion his teammate is being scrutinised originates with "you guys" – meaning the journalists – "not inside the camp."
"We all know how good of a player he is," said Crawley. "He has had a good year if I'm honest."
"He has produced several excellent innings. It is noise externally. There's no discussion like that on Ollie in the camp," Crawley finished.
