England opening batter Zak Crawley has indicated he was not familiar with statements from skipper Stokes regarding the dressing room not being "weak men".
The all-rounder made this message in multiple interviews in the wake of his team's loss in the second match of the Ashes series against Australia previously.
Ahead of the Adelaide Test, where the visitors now face defeat with a match to spare, Stokes stated he had allowed his sentiment to "circulate freely" within the squad.
"I've done the necessary discussions in recent days that I needed to have done," remarked Stokes.
However, after the opener made a knock of 85 on the fourth day in Adelaide, 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 press with some skepticism," Crawley continued.
Raw Conversations and Steady Philosophy
The captain issued his "fragile individuals" observation subsequent to England were beaten in the second Test to go 2-0 down.
The team afterwards took a holiday to a Queensland resort between the second and third matches.
Prior to this match, Stokes revealed his players had held "raw" conversations and he had asked them to "show a bit of dog" in their effort to stay in contention in the Ashes battle.
Yet, the Kent batsman stated the messaging from the captain and coach McCullum had remained in line with their previous three years in leadership.
"It's been extremely upbeat, unchanged," noted the opener. "The focus is just trying to be optimistic, 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 Historic Ashes Triumph
The opener's wicket on day four came during a decisive triple-strike by Australia spinner Lyon.
The spinner's triple strike in 20 deliveries – he also bowled Harry Brook and Ben Stokes – meant the chasing side 207-6 chasing a daunting total of 435 runs.
Consequently, Australia need four wickets on the last day to secure an unassailable 3-0 lead after three matches played.
A loss would prolong the English team's drought in Australia to 18 Tests and ensure a fourth straight away Ashes defeat.
This series is set to be decided in only 11 days of play – after England fell the first two Tests in rapid time each.
Not since 1921, when the Australians completed a series win in England in eight days, has the outcome of the Ashes urn been decided so quickly. Australia have also won in eleven days on two other occasions in the 21st century.
"It's disheartening," said 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 like that," Crawley added.
"The challenge has been tough. Australia is a very, very good team. It was inevitably tough coming here to face them. They entered as the front-runners and they've proven why."
Pope's Place Under Scrutiny
Although Crawley's innings in the third Test likely secures doubts about his immediate future in the England team, Pope appears under threat for his spot in the Melbourne Test on Boxing Day.
The Surrey batsman was out for 17 runs in the team's second innings on Saturday, extending his poor record against Australia.
Across 16 Ashes innings, the Surrey man has failed to score a fifty and averages just 17.62.
A solitary other England player in over a century – Amiss – has played as many times in the top order in the Ashes and recorded a poorer average.
But, the opener said any suggestion his teammate is being scrutinised comes from "you guys" – meaning the journalists – "and not within the team."
"We all know how good of a player he is," added he. "He has had a good year if I'm honest."
"He has played several excellent innings. It is noise externally. There's no discussion like that on Ollie in the camp," Crawley finished.
