England opener Crawley has indicated he was not familiar with comments from skipper Ben Stokes regarding the team environment not being "those lacking fortitude".
The all-rounder delivered this message in multiple interviews 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 now face a series loss at the earliest opportunity, the captain noted he had let his message to "drift around" within the playing group.
"I have completed the necessary discussions over the past two days that I needed to have done," said the England leader.
But, after the opener scored 85 on the penultimate day in the third Test, he commented: "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 some skepticism," Crawley continued.
Frank Discussions and Steady Philosophy
The captain issued his "weak men" observation after his side suffered a loss in the second Test to fall two matches behind.
The team afterwards took a holiday to Noosa in the gap between the second and the upcoming Tests.
Before this match, Stokes said his team had held "raw" talks and he had urged them to "show a bit of dog" in their battle to remain in contention in the series.
Yet, the Kent batsman asserted the guidance from the captain and coach McCullum had stayed consistent with their prior three years in charge.
"The atmosphere has been extremely upbeat, the same as always," said Crawley. "The focus is just trying to be optimistic, play our way, with lots of freedom. We believed we could do something special entering this Test."
The Hosts Close of Historic Series Victory
The opener's dismissal late on Saturday was part of a decisive triple-strike by Australian off-spinner Nathan Lyon.
Lyon's three wickets in a short spell – he also bowled Brook and Ben Stokes – meant England six down for 207 chasing a daunting total of 435.
Consequently, Australia need four wickets on Sunday's final day to move to an unassailable 3-0 lead after three Tests.
A loss will extend England's drought in this country to 18 consecutive matches and ensure a fourth successive away Ashes series defeat.
The current battle is set to be decided in just 11 days of cricket – after England fell the initial matches in rapid time each.
The last time 1921, when the Australians completed victory in the UK in eight days, has the outcome of the urn been decided so quickly. The hosts have also won in 11 days on two other occasions in the 21st century.
"It's disheartening," said the batsman. "We came here to win the Ashes and we're facing elimination at this point."
"There will still be plenty to play for and we will certainly approach it with that mindset," Crawley added.
"The challenge has been difficult. They're a formidable side. It was inevitably tough coming here to face them. They were the front-runners coming in to it have demonstrated their quality."
Pope's Place In Question
Although Crawley's performance in Adelaide probably answers doubts about his short-term place in the side, Ollie Pope looks under immense pressure for his spot in the Melbourne Test on Boxing Day.
The Surrey batsman was out for 17 in the team's second innings on day four, extending his poor record versus Australia.
In sixteen Ashes knocks, the Surrey man has failed to score a fifty and averages just 17.62.
A solitary other England player since 1900 – Dennis Amiss – has featured as many times in the top order in Ashes Tests and returned a poorer average.
However, the opener said any notion Pope is under the microscope originates with "you guys" – referring to the press – "not inside the camp."
"The squad is fully aware of his considerable talent," added he. "He has had a good year if I'm honest."
"He has produced several excellent innings. This is noise externally. There's no discussion of that nature on Ollie in the camp," Crawley concluded.
