England opener Zak Crawley has indicated he was not familiar with statements made by skipper Stokes about the dressing room as no place for "weak men".
Stokes delivered those words in several interviews following England's defeat in the second Ashes 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 let 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," said the England leader.
However, following the opener made 85 on the penultimate day in the third Test, he commented: "I missed those remarks."
"I wasn't actively searching for it. We take everything that is said in the press with a pinch of salt," he added.
Frank Discussions and Consistent Messaging
Stokes issued his "weak men" observation subsequent to England were beaten in Brisbane to go two matches behind.
The team afterwards took a holiday to Noosa in the gap between the second and third matches.
Before this match, Stokes said his team had held "honest" conversations and he had urged them to "show a bit of dog" in their battle to remain in contention in the Ashes battle.
Nevertheless, the Kent batsman asserted the messaging from Stokes and coach McCullum had remained consistent with their previous tenure in charge.
"The atmosphere has been very positive, unchanged," said the opener. "It's just trying to be optimistic, play our way, with lots of freedom. We believed we could do something special entering this Test."
Australia On the Verge of Rapid Series Victory
The opener's wicket late on Saturday came during a crucial triple-strike by Australia off-spinner Lyon.
Lyon's three wickets in a short spell – he also bowled Harry Brook and Ben Stokes – meant the chasing side 207-6 chasing a daunting target of 435 runs.
Consequently, the home team need four wickets on the final day to move to an insurmountable three-nil advantage with three Tests.
Defeat would prolong the English team's drought in this country to 18 consecutive matches and condemn them to a fourth successive away Ashes series defeat.
This series is set to be decided in only 11 days of cricket – after England losing the first two Tests in two and four days each.
The last time 1921, when Australia completed a series win in England in eight days, has the destination of the Ashes urn been determined so quickly. Australia have also won in 11 days on two other instances in the modern era.
"It's disappointing," said the batsman. "Our goal was to win the Ashes and we're staring down the barrel now."
"There will still be significant pride at stake and we'll definitely view it with that mindset," he continued.
"The challenge has been difficult. They're a formidable side. It was always going to be hard touring here to face them. They were the front-runners and have demonstrated their quality."
Pope's Position Under Scrutiny
While Crawley's innings in the third Test probably answers questions about his short-term place in the England team, Pope looks under immense pressure for his spot in the Melbourne Test on Boxing Day.
Pope was out for 17 in the team's second knock on Saturday, adding to his poor record against the old enemy.
Across sixteen Ashes knocks, the Surrey man has never made a half-century and boasts an average of just 17.62.
Only one other England player in over a century – Dennis Amiss – has featured as many times in the top six in Ashes Tests and recorded a lower average.
However, the opener said any suggestion Pope is being scrutinised originates with "the media" – referring to the press – "and not within the team."
"We all know of his considerable talent," added he. "He has had a productive year if I'm honest."
"He has played some really good knocks. It is talk from the outside. There is no chat like that on Ollie in the camp," Crawley concluded.
