England opener Zak Crawley suggested he was not familiar with comments from skipper Stokes about the team environment not being "those lacking fortitude".
The all-rounder made those words in several interviews following England's loss in the second Ashes series against Australia previously.
In the lead-up to the third Test, where the visitors are staring at a series loss with a match to spare, the captain noted he had allowed his message to "circulate freely" among the playing group.
"I have completed the necessary discussions over the past two days that I needed to have done," remarked the England leader.
But, after the opener made 85 on the penultimate day in Adelaide, he stated: "I missed those remarks."
"I didn't see and wasn't really looking out for it. We take everything that is said in the press with some skepticism," he added.
Raw Conversations and Steady Philosophy
The captain made the "weak men" observation after his side were beaten in Brisbane to fall two matches behind.
The team afterwards took a holiday to a Queensland resort between the second and the upcoming Tests.
Before this match, Stokes revealed his players had held "honest" conversations and he had asked them to "show a bit of dog" in their battle to stay alive in the Ashes battle.
Nevertheless, the Kent batsman asserted the messaging from Stokes and head coach McCullum had remained consistent with their previous three years in leadership.
"The atmosphere has been very positive, the same as always," noted Crawley. "The focus is on maintaining positivity, play our way, with lots of freedom. We believed we could do an extraordinary feat entering this game."
The Hosts On the Verge of Rapid Ashes Triumph
Crawley's wicket late on Saturday came during a decisive triple-strike by Australia off-spinner Nathan Lyon.
The spinner's three wickets in a short spell – including the wickets of Brook and Ben Stokes – meant the chasing side six down for 207 chasing a notional total of 435 runs.
This means, the home team need just four more wickets on the final day to secure an unassailable three-nil lead with three matches played.
Defeat will extend England's winless run in this country to 18 Tests and ensure a fourth successive away Ashes loss.
The current battle will be completed in just 11 days of play – after England losing the first two Tests in rapid time each.
The last time 1921, when the Australians sealed a series win in the UK in eight days, has the destination of the urn been decided so quickly. The hosts have also won in 11 days on two other occasions in the modern era.
"This is disappointing," said the batsman. "Our goal was to win the Ashes and now we are facing elimination now."
"There remains significant pride at stake and we'll certainly approach it like that," he continued.
"It's been difficult. Australia is a formidable side. It was always going to be hard coming here against them. They entered as the front-runners and have demonstrated their quality."
Pope's Place Under Scrutiny
Although the opener's performance in the third Test probably answers doubts about his short-term future in the England team, Ollie Pope appears under immense pressure for his position in the fourth Test on Boxing Day.
Pope fell for 17 in England's second knock on Saturday, extending his poor record against the old enemy.
In 16 Ashes innings, the Surrey man has never made a half-century and boasts an average of 17.62.
Only one other English batsman since 1900 – Dennis Amiss – has featured an equal number of innings in the top order in the Ashes and recorded a poorer average.
However, Crawley said any suggestion Pope is under the microscope comes from "you guys" – referring to the press – "not inside the camp."
"The squad is fully aware of his considerable talent," said Crawley. "He has had a productive year if I'm honest."
"He has produced some really good knocks. It is noise externally. There is no discussion of that nature regarding Pope in the camp," Crawley concluded.
