The English opener Zak Crawley suggested he had no knowledge of statements from captain Stokes about the dressing room as no place for "those lacking fortitude".
The all-rounder made those words in several conversations in the wake of his team's loss in the second match of the Ashes against the Australians previously.
Ahead of the third Test, where the visitors are staring at defeat at the earliest opportunity, Stokes stated he had let his message to "drift around" within the playing group.
"I have completed the necessary discussions in recent days that I required," remarked the England leader.
But, following the opener made a knock of 85 on the penultimate day in the third Test, he commented: "I didn't see that."
"I wasn't actively searching for it. We take anything stated in the media with some skepticism," Crawley continued.
Raw Conversations and Steady Philosophy
The captain made the "weak men" observation after England were beaten in the second Test to go two matches behind.
The England squad afterwards took a holiday to Noosa in the gap between the second and third Tests.
Before the Adelaide contest, Stokes said his team had held "honest" conversations and he had asked them to "display some fight" in their effort to remain alive in the series.
Nevertheless, the Kent batsman stated the guidance from Stokes and coach McCullum had stayed in line with their prior tenure in leadership.
"The atmosphere has been very positive, unchanged," noted the opener. "The focus is just trying to be optimistic, play our way, with great liberty. It felt like we could do an extraordinary feat going into this game."
The Hosts On the Verge of Historic Series Victory
The opener's wicket on day four came during a crucial three-wicket burst by Australian off-spinner Lyon.
Lyon's triple strike in a short spell – including the wickets of Brook and Ben Stokes – meant England 207-6 in pursuit of a daunting total of 435.
Consequently, the home team require four wickets on the final day to move to an insurmountable 3-0 lead after three matches played.
Defeat would prolong England's winless run in this country to 18 consecutive matches and ensure a fourth straight away Ashes defeat.
This series will be completed in just eleven days of play – with England losing the first two Tests in rapid time respectively.
Not since 1921, when Australia 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 11 days on two other instances in the 21st century.
"This is disappointing," said the batsman. "We came here to win the Ashes and now we are facing elimination at this point."
"There will still be plenty to play for and we will certainly approach it like that," Crawley added.
"The challenge has been difficult. They're a formidable team. It was inevitably tough coming here to face them. They entered as the favourites and they've proven why."
Pope's Position In Question
While Crawley's performance in Adelaide likely secures doubts about his immediate future in the side, Ollie Pope looks under threat for his position in the Melbourne Test on Boxing Day.
Pope fell for 17 runs in the team's second knock on day four, extending his modest returns versus Australia.
Across sixteen Ashes knocks, the Surrey man has failed to score a fifty and averages just 17.62.
A solitary other English batsman in over a century – Dennis Amiss – has played as many times in the top six in Ashes Tests and returned a lower average.
However, the opener said any suggestion his teammate is being scrutinised comes from "you guys" – meaning the press – "and not within the team."
"The squad is fully aware of his considerable talent," said Crawley. "Ollie has enjoyed a good year to be frank."
"He has played several excellent innings. It is talk from the outside. There is no discussion like that on Ollie amongst the players," he concluded.
