England opener Crawley has indicated he was not familiar with statements made by captain Stokes about the dressing room not being "weak men".
The all-rounder made this message in multiple conversations following England's loss in the second Ashes series versus the Australians previously.
Ahead of the third Test, where England now face a series loss with a match to spare, the captain stated he had allowed his sentiment to "drift around" within the squad.
"I have completed the necessary discussions in recent days that I required," remarked the England leader.
But, after Crawley made a knock of 85 on the penultimate day in the third Test, he commented: "I missed those remarks."
"I wasn't actively searching for it. Our approach is to take anything stated in the media with a pinch of salt," he added.
Raw Conversations and Consistent Messaging
The captain issued his "weak men" comment after England suffered a loss in Brisbane to fall 2-0 down.
The England squad afterwards took a holiday to Noosa between the second and the upcoming matches.
Before this match, Stokes said his team had held "honest" conversations and he had asked them to "show a bit of dog" in their effort to stay alive in the series.
Yet, the Kent batsman asserted the guidance from the captain and coach McCullum had stayed in line with their previous three years in charge.
"It's been extremely upbeat, the same as always," noted the opener. "The focus is on maintaining positivity, playing our brand, with lots of freedom. We believed we were capable of something special entering this Test."
The Hosts Close of Rapid Ashes Triumph
Crawley's wicket on day four was part of a crucial three-wicket burst by Australian off-spinner Nathan Lyon.
Lyon's three wickets in 20 deliveries – he also bowled Harry Brook and Ben Stokes – left the chasing side 207-6 in pursuit of a daunting target of 435 runs.
Consequently, the home team require four wickets on the final day to secure an insurmountable 3-0 lead with three Tests.
Defeat would prolong the English team's drought in this country to 18 Tests and ensure a fourth straight away Ashes series defeat.
The current battle is set to be decided in only 11 days of cricket – with England losing the initial matches in rapid time each.
The last time 1921, when Australia sealed victory in England in eight days, has the outcome of the Ashes urn been determined more swiftly. The hosts have also won in eleven days on two other occasions in the modern era.
"It's disheartening," admitted the batsman. "Our goal was to win the Ashes and we're staring down the barrel now."
"There will still be plenty to play for and we will certainly approach it like that," Crawley added.
"The challenge has been tough. They're a very, very good team. It was always going to be tough coming here against them. They were the favourites coming in to it they've proven why."
Ollie Pope's Position Under Scrutiny
While the opener's performance in the third Test probably answers questions about his short-term place in the England team, Pope looks under threat for his position in the fourth Test starting December 26th.
The Surrey batsman was out for 17 in England's second innings on day four, adding to his poor record versus the old enemy.
Across 16 Ashes innings, Pope has failed to score a half-century and averages 17.62.
A solitary other England player since 1900 – Amiss – has played as many times in the top six in the Ashes and recorded a poorer average.
But, Crawley said any notion his teammate is under the microscope originates with "the media" – referring to the press – "and not within the team."
"The squad is fully aware how good of a player he is," added he. "Ollie has enjoyed a productive year if I'm honest."
"He has produced some really good knocks. This is noise externally. There's no discussion of that nature regarding Pope in the camp," Crawley concluded.
