The English opening batter Crawley has indicated he was not familiar with statements from skipper Ben Stokes regarding the team environment not being "those lacking fortitude".
The all-rounder delivered this message in several interviews in the wake of England's loss in the second match of the Ashes series against the Australians previously.
Ahead of the Adelaide Test, where England 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've done the necessary discussions over the past two days that I needed to have done," remarked Stokes.
But, after the opener made 85 on the penultimate day in the third Test, he commented: "I missed those remarks."
"I didn't see and wasn't really looking out for it. Our approach is to take everything that is said in the media with some skepticism," he added.
Frank Discussions and Consistent Messaging
Stokes issued his "weak men" comment after his side were beaten in Brisbane to fall two matches behind.
The England squad afterwards took a break to Noosa between the second and third matches.
Before the Adelaide contest, he said his players had held "raw" talks and he had asked them to "show a bit of dog" in their effort to remain in contention in the Ashes battle.
Nevertheless, the Kent batsman asserted the guidance from the captain and coach Brendon McCullum had stayed consistent with their previous tenure in leadership.
"The atmosphere has been extremely upbeat, the same as always," noted the opener. "The focus is just trying to be optimistic, playing our brand, with great liberty. We believed we were capable of something special going into this Test."
The Hosts On the Verge of Rapid Series Victory
Crawley's wicket late on Saturday came during a crucial three-wicket burst by Australian off-spinner Lyon.
The spinner's triple strike in 20 deliveries – including the wickets of Brook and Stokes himself – left the chasing side six down for 207 in pursuit of a notional target of 435 runs.
This means, the home team require four wickets on the last day to secure an insurmountable 3-0 lead with three Tests.
Defeat will extend the English team's drought in this country to 18 Tests and condemn them to a fourth successive away Ashes series defeat.
The current battle will be completed in only eleven 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. The hosts have also won in eleven days on two other instances in the modern era.
"It's disappointing," admitted the batsman. "Our goal was to regain the Ashes and now we are staring down the barrel now."
"There will still be significant pride at stake and we'll certainly approach it like that," he continued.
"The challenge has been difficult. Australia is a very, very good team. It was inevitably hard coming here against them. They entered as the front-runners coming in to it they've proven why."
Ollie Pope's Position Under Scrutiny
Although the opener's performance in Adelaide likely secures doubts about his immediate future in the side, 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 Saturday, extending his poor record versus the old enemy.
Across 16 Ashes innings, the Surrey man has never made a half-century and boasts an average of just 17.62.
A solitary other English batsman in over a century – Amiss – has played as many times in the top order in the Ashes and recorded a poorer average.
However, the opener insisted any notion Pope is under the microscope originates with "the media" – meaning the press – "and not within the team."
"We all know how good of a player he is," added Crawley. "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 of that nature on Ollie amongst the players," he concluded.
