England opening batter Crawley has indicated he was not familiar with comments made by captain Ben Stokes regarding the team environment as no place for "weak men".
Stokes delivered this message in several interviews in the wake of his team's loss in the second match of the Ashes series against the Australians previously.
In the lead-up to the Adelaide Test, where the visitors are staring at defeat with a match to spare, the captain stated he had let his sentiment to "drift around" among the playing group.
"I have completed the necessary discussions over the past two days that I needed to have done," said Stokes.
However, after the opener scored 85 on the fourth day in Adelaide, he commented: "I missed those remarks."
"I wasn't actively searching for it. We take anything stated in the media with a pinch of salt," he added.
Raw Conversations and Consistent Messaging
Stokes made the "fragile individuals" comment subsequent to his side were beaten in the second Test to fall two matches behind.
The team subsequently went on a holiday to a Queensland resort between the second and third matches.
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 effort to remain in contention in the Ashes battle.
Nevertheless, Crawley asserted the messaging from the captain and head coach McCullum had remained in line with their previous tenure in charge.
"The atmosphere has been very positive, the same as always," noted the opener. "It's just trying to be optimistic, play our way, with lots of freedom. It felt like we were capable of an extraordinary feat going into this game."
Australia Close of Rapid Ashes Triumph
Crawley's dismissal on day four came during a decisive triple-strike by Australia off-spinner Nathan Lyon.
Lyon's triple strike in 20 deliveries – he also bowled Brook and Stokes himself – left the chasing side 207-6 in pursuit of a daunting target of 435.
This means, Australia need just four more wickets on Sunday's last day to move to an insurmountable three-nil lead with three matches played.
Defeat would prolong the English team's winless run in this country to 18 Tests and ensure a fourth successive away Ashes series loss.
The current battle will be completed in only 11 days of cricket – with England losing the first two Tests in rapid time respectively.
The last time 1921, when Australia completed victory in the UK in eight days, has the outcome of the Ashes urn been decided so quickly. The hosts have also won in 11 days on two other instances in the 21st century.
"It's disappointing," said Crawley. "We came here to win the Ashes and now we are facing elimination now."
"There will still be significant pride at stake and we'll definitely view it like that," he continued.
"The challenge has been difficult. Australia is a formidable team. It was inevitably hard coming here to face them. They entered as the favourites and have demonstrated their quality."
Ollie Pope's Place In Question
While Crawley's performance in Adelaide likely secures questions about his short-term future in the England team, Ollie Pope appears under threat for his spot in the fourth Test on Boxing Day.
Pope fell for 17 in the team's second innings on Saturday, extending his modest returns versus Australia.
In sixteen Ashes knocks, the Surrey man has never made a fifty and averages 17.62.
Only one other English batsman since 1900 – Dennis Amiss – has featured an equal number of innings in the top order in Ashes Tests and recorded a lower average.
But, the opener insisted any suggestion his teammate is under the microscope comes from "the media" – referring to the journalists – "and not within the team."
"The squad is fully aware how good of a player he is," said Crawley. "He has had a good year if I'm honest."
"He has produced some really good knocks. It is talk from the outside. There is no chat like that regarding Pope amongst the players," Crawley finished.
