England opener Crawley suggested he was not familiar with statements from captain Ben Stokes regarding the dressing room as no place for "those lacking fortitude".
Stokes made this message in several interviews in the wake of his team's loss in the second match of the Ashes against the Australians earlier this month.
In the lead-up to the third Test, where the visitors are staring at a series loss with a match to spare, Stokes noted he had allowed his sentiment to "drift around" among the playing group.
"I've done all the talking in recent days that I needed to have done," said Stokes.
However, following Crawley scored 85 on the fourth day in Adelaide, he stated: "I missed those remarks."
"I didn't see and wasn't really looking out for it. Our approach is to take anything stated in the media with a pinch of salt," he added.
Raw Conversations and Consistent Messaging
Stokes made the "weak men" observation after his side were beaten in Brisbane to fall two matches behind.
The team subsequently went on a break to Noosa in the gap between the second and third Tests.
Before the Adelaide contest, Stokes said his team had held "honest" talks and he had asked them to "show a bit of dog" in their effort to stay alive in the Ashes battle.
Nevertheless, Crawley stated the guidance from Stokes and head coach Brendon McCullum had stayed in line with their previous tenure in charge.
"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 lots of freedom. It felt like we were capable of something special going into this game."
Australia On the Verge of Rapid Series Victory
The opener's wicket on day four was part of a crucial triple-strike by Australia spinner Lyon.
The spinner's three wickets in 20 deliveries – including the wickets of Brook and Stokes himself – meant the chasing side 207-6 chasing a daunting target of 435 runs.
This means, the home team require just four more wickets on Sunday's final day to move to an unassailable three-nil lead after three Tests.
Defeat would prolong the English team's winless run in Australia to 18 consecutive matches and ensure a fourth straight away Ashes loss.
The current battle is set to be decided in just eleven days of cricket – after England losing the initial matches in rapid time respectively.
Not since 1921, when Australia completed victory in the UK in eight days, has the outcome of the Ashes urn been determined more swiftly. Australia have also won in eleven days on two other instances in the 21st century.
"This is disheartening," admitted Crawley. "We came here to regain the Ashes and we're facing elimination at this point."
"There will still be 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 always going to be hard 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 Crawley's innings in Adelaide likely secures questions about his immediate place in the England team, Pope appears under immense pressure for his position in the fourth Test starting December 26th.
Pope was out for 17 runs in the team's second innings on day four, adding to his poor record versus the old enemy.
Across 16 Ashes innings, Pope has never made a fifty and boasts an average of 17.62.
Only one other England player in over a century – Dennis Amiss – has played an equal number of innings in the top six in the Ashes and recorded a poorer average.
However, the opener said any notion Pope is being scrutinised comes from "you guys" – referring to the journalists – "and not within the team."
"The squad is fully aware of his considerable talent," added he. "Ollie has enjoyed a productive year if I'm honest."
"He has played several excellent innings. This is noise from the outside. There's no discussion of that nature on Ollie amongst the players," Crawley concluded.
