The English opening batter Crawley suggested he was not familiar with statements made by captain Ben Stokes about the team environment as no place for "weak men".
Stokes delivered this message in several conversations in the wake of his team's loss in the second Ashes series against Australia earlier this month.
In the lead-up to the Adelaide Test, where England now face a series loss at the earliest opportunity, Stokes stated he had let his message to "drift around" within the playing group.
"I have completed the necessary discussions in recent days that I required," remarked the England leader.
However, following the opener made 85 on the penultimate day in Adelaide, he commented: "I missed those remarks."
"I didn't see and wasn't really looking out for it. Our approach is to take everything that is said in the press with some skepticism," Crawley continued.
Frank Discussions and Steady Philosophy
Stokes made the "weak men" observation after his side suffered a loss in the second Test to fall two matches behind.
The England squad subsequently took a break to Noosa between the second and third Tests.
Before the Adelaide contest, Stokes said his team had held "honest" talks and he had urged them to "show a bit of dog" in their effort to stay alive in the series.
Yet, Crawley asserted the messaging from the captain and head coach Brendon McCullum had stayed consistent with their prior tenure in charge.
"It's been very positive, unchanged," noted the opener. "The focus is just trying to be optimistic, playing our brand, with great liberty. We believed we were capable of something special going into this game."
The Hosts Close of Historic Series Victory
The opener's dismissal on day four was part of a decisive three-wicket burst by Australia off-spinner Nathan Lyon.
The spinner's three wickets in 20 deliveries – including the wickets of Harry Brook and Stokes himself – meant England six down for 207 chasing a daunting total of 435 runs.
Consequently, the home team require just four more wickets on the final day to move to an unassailable 3-0 advantage with three matches played.
Defeat would prolong England's winless run in this country to 18 consecutive matches and condemn them to a fourth successive overseas Ashes loss.
The current battle will be completed in only 11 days of cricket – after England losing the first two Tests in rapid time respectively.
Not since 1921, when the Australians sealed a series win in England in eight days, has the destination of the urn been decided so quickly. Australia have also triumphed in eleven days on two other occasions in the modern era.
"It's disappointing," said the batsman. "Our goal was to win the Ashes and we're staring down the barrel now."
"There remains significant pride at stake and we will certainly approach it like that," Crawley added.
"The challenge has been difficult. Australia is a very, very good side. It was inevitably hard touring here against them. They were the front-runners coming in to it they've proven why."
Pope's Place In Question
Although the opener's performance in the third Test likely secures questions about his immediate future in the England team, Ollie Pope appears under threat for his position in the Melbourne Test starting December 26th.
The Surrey batsman was out for 17 runs in the team's second knock on day four, extending his poor record against the old enemy.
In 16 Ashes innings, Pope has failed to score a fifty and boasts an average of just 17.62.
A solitary other England player in over a century – Dennis Amiss – has featured as many times in the top order in the Ashes and recorded a lower average.
However, the opener insisted any notion Pope is being scrutinised originates with "the media" – referring to the journalists – "not inside the camp."
"The squad is fully aware how good of a player he is," said he. "Ollie has enjoyed a good year to be frank."
"He has produced some really good knocks. This is noise from the outside. There's no discussion of that nature regarding Pope in the camp," he finished.
