The English opener Zak Crawley suggested he had no knowledge of statements from skipper Stokes about the team environment as no place for "those lacking fortitude".
The all-rounder made this message in several interviews following his team's loss in the second Ashes series against Australia previously.
In the lead-up to the Adelaide Test, where England are staring at defeat with a match to spare, Stokes noted he had allowed his message to "drift around" within the squad.
"I've done all the talking over the past two days that I required," remarked the England leader.
However, following the opener made a knock of 85 on the penultimate 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.
Frank Discussions and Consistent Messaging
Stokes made the "fragile individuals" comment subsequent to England were beaten in Brisbane to fall 2-0 down.
The England squad afterwards went on a holiday to a Queensland resort between the second and third Tests.
Before the Adelaide contest, Stokes said his team had held "honest" talks and he had asked them to "display some fight" in their effort to remain alive in the series.
Nevertheless, Crawley asserted the messaging from Stokes and coach Brendon McCullum had stayed in line with their prior three years in charge.
"It's been extremely upbeat, the same as always," said Crawley. "The focus is on maintaining positivity, play our way, with lots of freedom. We believed we were capable of something special entering this Test."
The Hosts On the Verge of Rapid Series Victory
Crawley's dismissal on day four came during a decisive three-wicket burst by Australian off-spinner Nathan Lyon.
Lyon's three wickets in a short spell – he also bowled Brook and Stokes himself – meant England 207-6 chasing a notional total of 435.
This means, the home team need just four more wickets on Sunday's final day to move to an unassailable three-nil lead with three matches played.
Defeat will extend England's drought in Australia to 18 consecutive matches and condemn them to a fourth straight away Ashes series defeat.
This series will be completed in only eleven days of cricket – after England losing the initial matches in rapid time respectively.
The last time 1921, when the Australians completed victory in the UK in eight days, has the outcome of the urn been decided so quickly. Australia have also triumphed in eleven days on two other instances in the modern era.
"It's disheartening," said the batsman. "We came here to regain the Ashes and we're staring down the barrel at this point."
"There will still be significant pride at stake and we'll definitely view it like that," Crawley added.
"It's been tough. Australia is a formidable team. It was inevitably hard touring here to face them. They entered as the front-runners and they've proven why."
Pope's Place In Question
While Crawley's performance in Adelaide probably answers questions about his immediate place in the England team, Ollie Pope looks under threat for his spot in the Melbourne Test on Boxing Day.
The Surrey batsman was out for 17 in the team's second innings on day four, adding to his poor record versus the old enemy.
In sixteen Ashes knocks, Pope has never made a fifty and boasts an average of just 17.62.
Only one other English batsman 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, Crawley insisted any notion his teammate is being scrutinised originates with "the media" – meaning the journalists – "not inside the camp."
"We all know how good of a player he is," said Crawley. "He has had a productive year to be frank."
"He has played some really good knocks. It is noise externally. There is no chat of that nature on Ollie in the camp," Crawley finished.
