The English opener Zak Crawley suggested he was not familiar with statements made by skipper Stokes about the dressing room not being "weak men".
Stokes delivered this message in several conversations following his team's defeat in the second match of the Ashes series against Australia earlier this month.
In the lead-up to the third Test, where the visitors now face defeat with a match to spare, Stokes stated he had allowed his message to "circulate freely" among the squad.
"I have completed the necessary discussions over the past two days that I required," said Stokes.
However, following Crawley made a knock of 85 on the fourth day in the third Test, 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 press with some skepticism," Crawley continued.
Raw Conversations and Steady Philosophy
The captain issued his "fragile individuals" observation after England suffered a loss in the second Test to fall 2-0 down.
The team subsequently went on a break to a Queensland resort in the gap between the second and third Tests.
Before the Adelaide contest, Stokes revealed his team had held "raw" conversations and he had asked them to "show a bit of dog" in their effort to stay alive in the series.
Nevertheless, Crawley stated the guidance from Stokes and head coach McCullum had stayed consistent with their prior three years in leadership.
"The atmosphere has been extremely upbeat, unchanged," noted Crawley. "It's on maintaining positivity, play our way, with lots of freedom. We believed we could do something special going into this game."
Australia Close of Rapid Ashes Triumph
The opener's dismissal on day four was part of a crucial triple-strike by Australia off-spinner Nathan Lyon.
The spinner's three wickets in a short spell – he also bowled Harry Brook and Stokes himself – meant the chasing side 207-6 in pursuit of a notional total of 435.
This means, the home team require just four more wickets on the last day to secure an unassailable 3-0 lead after three Tests.
Defeat will extend England's drought in Australia to 18 Tests and ensure a fourth successive overseas Ashes loss.
The current battle will be completed in just 11 days of cricket – with England losing the first two Tests in rapid time each.
The last time 1921, when the Australians completed victory in the UK in eight days, has the outcome of the urn been determined so quickly. Australia have also won in eleven days on two other instances in the 21st century.
"This is disappointing," said Crawley. "We came here to regain the Ashes and now we are staring down the barrel at this point."
"There remains significant pride at stake and we'll definitely view it with that mindset," he continued.
"It's been tough. They're a formidable side. It was inevitably hard coming here to face them. They entered as the favourites coming in to it they've proven why."
Pope's Position Under Scrutiny
While Crawley's innings in Adelaide likely secures doubts about his short-term future in the side, Ollie Pope appears under immense pressure for his position in the Melbourne Test on Boxing Day.
The Surrey batsman fell for 17 in England's second innings on day four, adding to his poor record against Australia.
In sixteen Ashes knocks, Pope has failed to score a fifty and averages just 17.62.
A solitary other English batsman in over a century – Amiss – has played as many times in the top six in the Ashes and returned a lower average.
However, the opener insisted any notion Pope is being scrutinised comes from "you guys" – referring to the journalists – "and not within the team."
"We all know how good of a player he is," said he. "Ollie has enjoyed a good year if I'm honest."
"He has played several excellent innings. This is talk from the outside. There is no chat like that regarding Pope amongst the players," he concluded.
