England opener Crawley has indicated he had no knowledge of comments made by skipper Ben Stokes regarding the team environment not being "weak men".
The all-rounder delivered this message in several interviews following England's defeat in the second Ashes versus the Australians earlier this month.
Ahead of the Adelaide Test, where England now face defeat at the earliest opportunity, the captain stated he had let his sentiment to "drift around" among the squad.
"I've done all the talking in recent days that I required," said the England leader.
But, following the opener made 85 on the penultimate day in Adelaide, he stated: "I missed those remarks."
"I didn't see and wasn't really looking out for it. We take anything stated in the media with a pinch of salt," Crawley continued.
Raw Conversations and Steady Philosophy
Stokes made the "weak men" comment after England suffered a loss in Brisbane to fall two matches behind.
The team afterwards took a holiday to a Queensland resort between the second and the upcoming Tests.
Before the Adelaide contest, he revealed his team had held "raw" talks and he had asked them to "display some fight" in their battle to remain in contention in the series.
Nevertheless, the Kent batsman stated the messaging from the captain and coach McCullum had stayed consistent with their prior tenure in leadership.
"It's been very positive, unchanged," said Crawley. "The focus is just trying to be optimistic, playing our brand, with lots of freedom. It felt like we were capable of an extraordinary feat going into this game."
The Hosts On the Verge of Historic Series Victory
Crawley's wicket on day four was part of a crucial three-wicket burst by Australian spinner Nathan Lyon.
The spinner's triple strike in a short spell – he also bowled Harry Brook and Stokes himself – left England 207-6 chasing a daunting target of 435 runs.
Consequently, the home team require just four more wickets on Sunday's last day to move to an insurmountable three-nil lead after three Tests.
Defeat will extend the English team's winless run in Australia to 18 consecutive matches and ensure a fourth successive overseas Ashes loss.
This series will be completed in only 11 days of cricket – with England fell the first two Tests in rapid time each.
Not since 1921, when the Australians sealed a series win in the UK in eight days, has the destination of the Ashes urn been decided so quickly. Australia have also won in 11 days on two other instances in the modern era.
"This is disheartening," admitted Crawley. "Our goal was to regain the Ashes and we're staring down the barrel now."
"There remains plenty to play for and we will certainly approach it with that mindset," Crawley added.
"It's been difficult. They're a very, very good side. It was always going to be hard touring here to face them. They entered as the front-runners and they've proven why."
Pope's Position In Question
Although Crawley's innings in the third Test likely secures doubts about his immediate future in the side, Pope appears under threat for his position in the Melbourne Test on Boxing Day.
Pope was out for 17 runs in England's second knock on day four, extending his poor record versus Australia.
In sixteen Ashes knocks, Pope has never made a fifty and averages 17.62.
A solitary other England player in over a century – Amiss – has featured an equal number of innings in the top six in Ashes Tests and recorded a lower average.
However, the opener insisted any suggestion Pope is under the microscope comes from "the media" – meaning the press – "and not within the team."
"The squad is fully aware how good of a player he is," added he. "He has had a good year to be frank."
"He has produced several excellent innings. This is talk from the outside. There is no chat of that nature on Ollie in the camp," Crawley finished.
