The English opening batter Zak Crawley suggested he had no knowledge of comments from skipper Stokes about the dressing room not being "those lacking fortitude".
Stokes made this message in several interviews in the wake of his team's loss in the second match of the Ashes series versus the Australians previously.
Ahead of the Adelaide Test, where the visitors now face a series loss with a match to spare, the captain stated he had allowed his sentiment to "circulate freely" within the playing group.
"I have completed all the talking in recent days that I needed to have done," remarked Stokes.
But, after Crawley scored a knock of 85 on the penultimate day in the third Test, he commented: "I didn't see that."
"I didn't see and wasn't really looking out for it. We take anything stated in the press with a pinch of salt," Crawley continued.
Frank Discussions and Consistent Messaging
Stokes issued his "weak men" observation after his side were beaten in the second Test to go 2-0 down.
The England squad subsequently took a holiday to a Queensland resort between the second and third Tests.
Before the Adelaide contest, Stokes said his team had held "raw" conversations and he had urged them to "display some fight" in their effort to remain alive in the Ashes battle.
Yet, the Kent batsman stated the guidance from Stokes and head coach Brendon McCullum had stayed in line with their previous tenure in charge.
"The atmosphere has been very positive, unchanged," noted the opener. "The focus is on maintaining positivity, play our way, with great liberty. We believed we were capable of an extraordinary feat entering this game."
The Hosts Close of Historic Ashes Triumph
The opener's dismissal on day four was part of a decisive three-wicket burst by Australia spinner Nathan Lyon.
Lyon's triple strike in 20 deliveries – he also bowled Brook and Ben Stokes – left England six down for 207 chasing a daunting total of 435.
Consequently, the home team require four wickets on the last day to move to an insurmountable 3-0 advantage after three Tests.
Defeat would prolong England's winless run in this country to 18 Tests and condemn them to a fourth straight away Ashes defeat.
This series will be completed in only 11 days of play – after England losing the first two Tests in rapid time respectively.
The last time 1921, when the Australians sealed victory in the UK in eight days, has the destination of the Ashes urn been decided so quickly. Australia have also triumphed in 11 days on two other instances in the modern era.
"This is disappointing," admitted Crawley. "We came here to regain the Ashes and we're facing elimination at this point."
"There will still be plenty to play for and we'll certainly approach it with that mindset," Crawley added.
"The challenge has been difficult. Australia is a very, very good side. It was inevitably hard coming here against them. They entered as the front-runners and they've proven why."
Ollie Pope's Position In Question
Although Crawley's performance in Adelaide likely secures doubts about his immediate future in the England team, Pope looks under threat for his spot in the fourth Test on Boxing Day.
Pope was out for 17 runs in England's second knock on day four, extending his modest returns versus the old enemy.
Across sixteen Ashes knocks, the Surrey man has failed to score a half-century and averages just 17.62.
Only one other English batsman in over a century – Dennis Amiss – has featured as many times in the top six in Ashes Tests and returned a lower average.
But, the opener said any notion Pope is being scrutinised originates with "the media" – meaning the journalists – "not inside the camp."
"We all know of his considerable talent," added he. "Ollie has enjoyed a good year to be frank."
"He has produced several excellent innings. It is talk from the outside. There is no discussion of that nature on Ollie amongst the players," Crawley finished.