England opener Crawley has indicated he had no knowledge of comments from captain Ben Stokes about the dressing room as no place for "weak men".
Stokes made those words in multiple interviews in the wake of England's defeat in the second match of the Ashes against Australia previously.
In the lead-up to the third Test, where the visitors now face a series loss with a match to spare, the captain noted he had let his message to "drift around" among the squad.
"I have completed the necessary discussions over the past two days that I needed to have done," remarked the England leader.
But, following the opener scored 85 on the fourth day in Adelaide, he stated: "I missed those remarks."
"I wasn't actively searching for it. We take everything that is said in the press with a pinch of salt," Crawley continued.
Raw Conversations and Consistent Messaging
The captain issued his "fragile individuals" comment subsequent to his side were beaten in Brisbane to go 2-0 down.
The team afterwards went on a holiday to Noosa in the gap between the second and third matches.
Prior to the Adelaide contest, Stokes said his players had held "raw" talks and he had asked them to "display some fight" in their effort to remain alive in the Ashes battle.
Nevertheless, the Kent batsman stated the messaging from the captain and head coach Brendon McCullum had remained in line with their prior three years in charge.
"The atmosphere has been very positive, unchanged," said the opener. "The focus is on maintaining positivity, play our way, with lots of freedom. It felt like we were capable of an extraordinary feat going into this Test."
The Hosts Close of Rapid Ashes Triumph
Crawley's wicket on day four was part of a crucial triple-strike by Australian spinner Nathan Lyon.
Lyon's three wickets in a short spell – he also bowled Brook and Ben Stokes – left England 207-6 chasing a daunting total of 435.
This means, Australia require four wickets on the final day to secure an unassailable 3-0 advantage after three Tests.
Defeat will extend the English team's winless run in Australia to 18 Tests and ensure a fourth straight overseas Ashes series defeat.
The current battle will be completed in only 11 days of play – after England losing the first two Tests in rapid time respectively.
The last time 1921, when the Australians sealed victory in England in eight days, has the destination of the Ashes urn been decided so quickly. Australia have also triumphed in eleven days on two other occasions in the 21st century.
"It's disappointing," said Crawley. "We came here to regain the Ashes and now we are staring down the barrel now."
"There remains plenty to play for and we'll certainly approach it with that mindset," he continued.
"It's been difficult. They're a formidable side. It was always going to be tough coming here to face them. They entered as the favourites coming in to it have demonstrated their quality."
Pope's Position In Question
Although the opener's performance in Adelaide likely secures questions about his immediate place in the side, Pope looks under immense pressure for his position in the fourth Test on Boxing Day.
The Surrey batsman was out for 17 runs in England's second knock on day four, extending his poor record versus the old enemy.
In 16 Ashes innings, the Surrey man has never made a fifty and boasts an average of 17.62.
Only one other England player in over a century – Amiss – has played as many times in the top six in the Ashes and returned a poorer average.
However, Crawley said any suggestion Pope is under the microscope comes from "the media" – meaning the journalists – "and not within the team."
"The squad is fully aware of his considerable talent," added he. "Ollie has enjoyed a good year if I'm honest."
"He has produced some really good knocks. This is talk externally. There is no discussion of that nature regarding Pope amongst the players," Crawley finished.
