England opener Crawley suggested he had no knowledge of statements from skipper Ben Stokes about the dressing room as no place for "weak men".
The all-rounder delivered 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 England now face a series loss with a match to spare, Stokes stated he had let his message 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 penultimate day in the third Test, he commented: "I missed those remarks."
"I wasn't actively searching for it. We take anything stated in the press with some skepticism," he added.
Frank Discussions and Steady Philosophy
Stokes issued his "weak men" comment subsequent to his side suffered a loss in the second Test to go 2-0 down.
The team subsequently went on a break to Noosa between the second and third Tests.
Before the Adelaide contest, he said his players had held "honest" conversations and he had asked them to "display some fight" in their effort to stay alive in the Ashes battle.
Nevertheless, the Kent batsman asserted the guidance from Stokes and coach Brendon McCullum had stayed consistent with their previous three years in leadership.
"The atmosphere has been very positive, unchanged," noted Crawley. "It's just trying to be optimistic, play our way, with great liberty. We believed we were capable of something special entering this game."
The Hosts On the Verge of Historic Ashes Triumph
The opener's wicket on day four came during a crucial three-wicket burst by Australian spinner Nathan Lyon.
Lyon's triple strike in 20 deliveries – including the wickets of Brook and Ben Stokes – left the chasing side six down for 207 chasing a daunting target of 435 runs.
This means, the home team need just four more wickets on Sunday's final day to move to an insurmountable three-nil advantage with three matches played.
Defeat will extend the English team's winless run in Australia to 18 consecutive matches and condemn them to a fourth successive overseas Ashes series defeat.
The current battle is set to be decided in only 11 days of play – after England fell the first two Tests in two and four days respectively.
The last time 1921, when the Australians sealed victory in England in eight days, has the outcome of the urn been determined more swiftly. The hosts have also triumphed in eleven days on two other occasions in the 21st century.
"It's disheartening," said the batsman. "We came here to regain the Ashes and we're staring down the barrel now."
"There will still be plenty to play for and we will definitely view it like that," Crawley added.
"The challenge has been difficult. Australia is a formidable side. It was always going to be hard touring here against them. They were the favourites coming in to it they've proven why."
Pope's Position Under Scrutiny
While the opener's performance in the third Test probably answers doubts about his immediate place in the side, Pope looks under threat for his position in the Melbourne Test starting December 26th.
Pope was out for 17 in the team's second knock on Saturday, extending his modest returns against the old enemy.
Across sixteen Ashes knocks, the Surrey man has failed to score a fifty and boasts an average of 17.62.
Only one other England player since 1900 – Amiss – has played an equal number of innings in the top order in the Ashes and returned a poorer average.
However, the opener insisted any notion Pope is being scrutinised comes from "you guys" – meaning the journalists – "not inside the camp."
"We all know how good of a player he is," said he. "Ollie has enjoyed a good year if I'm honest."
"He has played some really good knocks. It is talk externally. There is no discussion like that regarding Pope amongst the players," Crawley concluded.
