The English opening batter Crawley has indicated he had no knowledge of comments from captain Stokes about the team environment not being "those lacking fortitude".
Stokes made those words in multiple interviews in the wake of England's loss in the second match of the Ashes versus the Australians previously.
Ahead of the third Test, where England now face defeat at the earliest opportunity, Stokes noted he had let his sentiment to "circulate freely" among the squad.
"I've done all the talking over the past two days that I needed to have done," remarked Stokes.
However, following Crawley made 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 anything stated in the press with a pinch of salt," he added.
Frank Discussions and Steady Philosophy
The captain made the "weak men" comment after his side were beaten in the second Test to fall 2-0 down.
The team subsequently went on a holiday to Noosa in the gap between the second and third Tests.
Before the Adelaide contest, Stokes revealed his team had held "honest" talks and he had asked them to "display some fight" in their battle to remain alive in the series.
Yet, Crawley stated the messaging from the captain and head coach McCullum had stayed in line with their prior tenure in leadership.
"It's been extremely upbeat, the same as always," noted the opener. "It's just trying to be optimistic, playing our brand, with lots of freedom. It felt like we were capable of an extraordinary feat entering this Test."
The Hosts On the Verge of Historic Series Victory
Crawley's wicket late on Saturday came during a crucial triple-strike by Australia off-spinner Nathan Lyon.
The spinner's three wickets in a short spell – including the wickets of Brook and Stokes himself – left England 207-6 in pursuit of a daunting total of 435 runs.
Consequently, the home team need four wickets on the final day to move to an unassailable three-nil advantage after three Tests.
A loss will extend the English team's winless run in this country to 18 Tests and condemn them to a fourth successive overseas Ashes defeat.
This series will be completed in just eleven days of play – after England fell the initial matches in rapid time respectively.
The last time 1921, when the Australians sealed victory in the UK in eight days, has the outcome of the urn been determined more swiftly. The hosts have also triumphed in 11 days on two other occasions in the modern era.
"This is disheartening," said Crawley. "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'll definitely view it with that mindset," he continued.
"The challenge has been difficult. They're a very, very good team. It was always going to be tough coming here to face them. They entered as the front-runners coming in to it they've proven why."
Ollie Pope's Place In Question
Although the opener's performance in the third Test probably answers doubts about his immediate future in the side, Pope looks under threat for his position in the Melbourne Test starting December 26th.
Pope was out for 17 runs in England's second innings on Saturday, adding to his modest returns versus the old enemy.
In sixteen Ashes knocks, Pope has failed to score a fifty and averages just 17.62.
A solitary other English batsman since 1900 – Amiss – has played as many times in the top six in Ashes Tests and returned a lower average.
But, the opener insisted any notion Pope is under the microscope comes from "you guys" – referring to the journalists – "not inside the camp."
"The squad is fully aware of his considerable talent," said Crawley. "Ollie has enjoyed a good year if I'm honest."
"He has played some really good knocks. This is talk from the outside. There is no discussion of that nature regarding Pope in the camp," he finished.
