England opener Crawley has indicated he was not familiar with comments from captain Ben Stokes about the dressing room not being "those lacking fortitude".
The all-rounder made those words in multiple conversations in the wake of his team's defeat in the second match of the Ashes series versus Australia earlier this month.
In the lead-up to the Adelaide Test, where the visitors are staring at defeat at the earliest opportunity, Stokes stated he had allowed his sentiment to "circulate freely" within the playing group.
"I have completed the necessary discussions in recent days that I needed to have done," said the England leader.
But, following the opener scored a knock of 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 some skepticism," Crawley continued.
Frank Discussions and Steady Philosophy
Stokes issued his "weak men" comment after England were beaten in the second Test to fall two matches behind.
The England squad subsequently went on a holiday to a Queensland resort in the gap between the second and the upcoming matches.
Prior to the Adelaide contest, Stokes revealed his team had held "honest" conversations and he had urged them to "show a bit of dog" in their battle to stay alive in the Ashes battle.
Nevertheless, Crawley stated the messaging from Stokes and head coach McCullum had stayed in line with their previous tenure in leadership.
"It's been very positive, the same as always," noted the opener. "It's on maintaining positivity, playing our brand, with lots of freedom. We believed we could do an extraordinary feat going into this game."
The Hosts On the Verge of Historic Ashes Triumph
The opener's wicket late on Saturday was part of a decisive triple-strike by Australian spinner Nathan Lyon.
The spinner's three wickets in 20 deliveries – including the wickets of Harry Brook and Stokes himself – meant England 207-6 chasing a notional target of 435 runs.
This means, Australia need just four more wickets on the last day to move to an unassailable 3-0 advantage after three Tests.
Defeat would prolong England's winless run in Australia to 18 consecutive matches and condemn them to a fourth straight away Ashes defeat.
This series is set to be decided in just eleven days of play – with England losing the initial matches in rapid time each.
Not since 1921, when Australia sealed victory in England in eight days, has the destination of the urn been decided more swiftly. The hosts have also triumphed in 11 days on two other instances in the modern era.
"It's disheartening," admitted the batsman. "Our goal was to regain the Ashes and we're facing elimination now."
"There will still be significant pride at stake and we will certainly approach it like that," Crawley added.
"It's been difficult. Australia is a very, very good team. It was always going to be tough coming here to face them. They were the front-runners coming in to it they've proven why."
Ollie Pope's Position In Question
Although the opener's innings in the third Test likely secures questions about his immediate future in the England team, Ollie Pope appears under threat for his spot in the Melbourne Test on Boxing Day.
The Surrey batsman was out for 17 runs in England's second innings on day four, extending his poor record versus the old enemy.
In sixteen Ashes knocks, the Surrey man has never made a fifty and boasts an average of just 17.62.
A solitary other England player in over a century – Amiss – has featured as many times in the top six in Ashes Tests and recorded a poorer average.
But, the opener insisted any notion his teammate is being scrutinised comes from "you guys" – meaning the journalists – "and not within the team."
"The squad is fully aware of his considerable talent," added he. "He has had a productive year if I'm honest."
"He has produced several excellent innings. This is talk from the outside. There's no discussion of that nature regarding Pope in the camp," he finished.
