England opener Crawley suggested he was not familiar with comments from captain Ben Stokes regarding the team environment as no place for "those lacking fortitude".
Stokes made those words in multiple conversations following his team's loss in the second Ashes series against the Australians earlier this month.
Ahead of the Adelaide Test, where the visitors now face defeat with a match to spare, the captain noted he had let his message to "drift around" among the squad.
"I've done the necessary discussions over the past two days that I required," said Stokes.
However, after the opener scored 85 on the fourth day in the third Test, he commented: "I didn't see that."
"I wasn't actively searching for it. Our approach is to take everything that is said in the media with some skepticism," Crawley continued.
Raw Conversations and Consistent Messaging
Stokes issued his "weak men" observation after his side were beaten in the second Test to go two matches behind.
The England squad subsequently went on a holiday to Noosa in the gap between the second and the upcoming Tests.
Prior to this match, he said his team had held "raw" conversations and he had asked them to "display some fight" in their effort to stay alive in the series.
Yet, the Kent batsman asserted the guidance from the captain and head coach Brendon McCullum had stayed consistent with their previous tenure in leadership.
"It's been extremely upbeat, the same as always," noted Crawley. "It's just trying to be optimistic, playing our brand, with great liberty. It felt like we could do an extraordinary feat entering this game."
Australia Close of Rapid Series Victory
Crawley's wicket late on Saturday was part of a decisive three-wicket burst by Australian off-spinner Lyon.
The spinner's triple strike in 20 deliveries – including the wickets of Harry Brook and Ben Stokes – left the chasing side six down for 207 in pursuit of a daunting total of 435.
Consequently, Australia need four wickets on the last day to move to an insurmountable three-nil lead after three matches played.
A loss would prolong the English team's drought in this country to 18 Tests and condemn them to a fourth successive overseas Ashes defeat.
This series is set to be decided in just eleven days of cricket – after England fell the initial matches in two and four days each.
The last time 1921, when Australia sealed victory in the UK in eight days, has the destination of the Ashes urn been decided so quickly. The hosts have also triumphed in 11 days on two other instances in the modern era.
"It's disappointing," admitted Crawley. "Our goal was to regain the Ashes and now we are staring down the barrel now."
"There remains significant pride at stake and we'll certainly approach it like that," Crawley added.
"It's been tough. Australia is a formidable side. It was inevitably tough touring here to face them. They were the favourites coming in to it have demonstrated their quality."
Ollie Pope's Position Under Scrutiny
While Crawley's innings in the third Test likely secures questions about his short-term future in the England team, Pope appears under immense pressure for his position in the Melbourne Test on Boxing Day.
The Surrey batsman fell for 17 runs in England's second knock on day four, extending his poor record against Australia.
In sixteen Ashes knocks, the Surrey man has failed to score a half-century and averages 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 returned a lower average.
However, the opener insisted any suggestion his teammate is under the microscope comes from "you guys" – meaning the press – "not inside the camp."
"We all know how good of a player he is," said he. "He has had a good year if I'm honest."
"He has produced several excellent innings. This is noise externally. There's no discussion like that on Ollie amongst the players," he finished.
