England opener Crawley has indicated he was not familiar with comments made by captain Ben Stokes regarding the dressing room not being "those lacking fortitude".
Stokes delivered this message in multiple interviews in the wake of his team's loss in the second Ashes against the Australians previously.
In the lead-up to the third Test, where England now face a series loss at the earliest opportunity, the captain stated 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," remarked the England leader.
But, after Crawley made a knock of 85 on the penultimate day in Adelaide, he stated: "I didn't see that."
"I wasn't actively searching for it. Our approach is to take everything that is said in the press with a pinch of salt," he added.
Frank Discussions and Consistent Messaging
Stokes issued his "weak men" observation subsequent to his side were beaten in the second Test to fall two matches behind.
The England squad afterwards went on a holiday to a Queensland resort in the gap between the second and the upcoming Tests.
Prior to the Adelaide contest, Stokes said his players had held "raw" conversations and he had asked them to "show a bit of dog" in their battle to remain alive in the series.
Nevertheless, the Kent batsman stated the guidance from the captain and head coach McCullum had stayed consistent with their previous tenure in leadership.
"It's been extremely upbeat, unchanged," said the opener. "It's on maintaining positivity, play our way, with lots of freedom. We believed we could do something special entering this game."
The Hosts Close of Rapid Ashes Triumph
The opener's wicket on day four was part of a crucial triple-strike by Australia off-spinner Nathan Lyon.
Lyon's three wickets in a short spell – he also bowled Harry Brook and Stokes himself – left England 207-6 chasing a daunting total of 435 runs.
Consequently, Australia need four wickets on Sunday's final day to move to an unassailable 3-0 advantage with three matches played.
A loss would prolong the English team's winless run in this country to 18 consecutive matches and condemn them to a fourth successive away Ashes series defeat.
The current battle will be completed in just 11 days of cricket – after England fell the first two Tests in rapid time each.
Not since 1921, when Australia sealed victory in England in eight days, has the outcome of the urn been determined more swiftly. The hosts have also won in 11 days on two other occasions in the modern era.
"It's disappointing," said the batsman. "We came here to regain the Ashes and we're facing elimination now."
"There remains plenty to play for and we will certainly approach it like that," he continued.
"It's been tough. Australia is a formidable team. It was always going to be tough touring here against them. They entered as the favourites and 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 immense pressure for his spot in the fourth Test starting December 26th.
The Surrey batsman fell for 17 in the team's second knock on Saturday, extending his poor record against the old enemy.
Across 16 Ashes innings, the Surrey man has failed to score a fifty and averages just 17.62.
A solitary other England player since 1900 – Amiss – has featured as many times in the top six in the Ashes and returned a lower average.
But, Crawley insisted any notion Pope is under the microscope comes from "you guys" – meaning the journalists – "and not within the team."
"We all know how good of a player he is," said he. "Ollie has enjoyed a good year to be frank."
"He has produced several excellent innings. It is talk from the outside. There is no discussion like that on Ollie in the camp," he finished.
