The English opening batter Zak Crawley suggested he was not familiar with comments from skipper Stokes about the team environment as no place for "those lacking fortitude".
Stokes delivered those words in multiple conversations following his team's defeat in the second match of the Ashes against Australia earlier this month.
Ahead of the third Test, where the visitors now face defeat at the earliest opportunity, the captain noted he had allowed his sentiment to "circulate freely" within the squad.
"I've done all the talking over the past two days that I required," said the England leader.
But, after the opener scored 85 on the fourth 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 everything that is said in the press with a pinch of salt," he added.
Raw Conversations and Consistent Messaging
Stokes made the "weak men" observation after his side were beaten in the second Test to go 2-0 down.
The team afterwards went on a holiday to Noosa in the gap between the second and the upcoming Tests.
Before the Adelaide contest, he said his players had held "raw" talks and he had urged them to "display some fight" in their effort to stay alive in the Ashes battle.
Yet, the Kent batsman stated the messaging from the captain and coach Brendon McCullum had remained in line with their prior tenure in leadership.
"It's been very positive, unchanged," noted the opener. "The focus is on maintaining positivity, playing our brand, with lots of freedom. It felt like we were capable of something special entering this game."
The Hosts On the Verge of Rapid Ashes Triumph
The opener's wicket late on Saturday came during a crucial triple-strike by Australia off-spinner Nathan Lyon.
The spinner's three wickets in 20 deliveries – including the wickets of Brook and Ben Stokes – meant England 207-6 in pursuit of a notional total of 435.
This means, Australia need four wickets on Sunday's last day to move to an insurmountable three-nil advantage after three Tests.
A loss would prolong the English team's drought in this country to 18 consecutive matches and ensure a fourth successive away Ashes loss.
This series is set to be decided in only 11 days of cricket – with England losing the first two Tests in rapid time respectively.
The last time 1921, when Australia sealed victory in the UK in eight days, has the destination of the urn been decided more swiftly. Australia have also triumphed in 11 days on two other occasions in the 21st century.
"It's disappointing," admitted the batsman. "Our goal was to regain the Ashes and now we are facing elimination at this point."
"There remains plenty to play for and we'll definitely view it like that," Crawley added.
"It's been difficult. Australia is a very, very good team. It was inevitably hard coming here against them. They entered as the favourites and they've proven why."
Ollie Pope's Place In Question
While the opener's performance in the third Test probably answers questions about his immediate future in the England team, Pope looks under threat for his spot in the fourth Test on Boxing Day.
The Surrey batsman was out for 17 in England's second innings on day four, extending his poor record against Australia.
Across 16 Ashes innings, Pope has never made a half-century and averages 17.62.
Only one other England player in over a century – Amiss – has featured as many times in the top six in Ashes Tests and recorded a poorer average.
However, Crawley insisted any notion Pope is under the microscope comes from "the media" – meaning the journalists – "not inside the camp."
"We all know how good of a player he is," added Crawley. "Ollie has enjoyed a good year to be frank."
"He has produced several excellent innings. It is noise from the outside. There is no discussion like that regarding Pope in the camp," Crawley finished.
