England opener Crawley has indicated he had no knowledge of comments made by skipper Ben Stokes regarding the dressing room as no place for "those lacking fortitude".
The all-rounder made those words in multiple conversations in the wake of his team's defeat in the second Ashes series against Australia previously.
In the lead-up to the Adelaide Test, where the visitors are staring at defeat at the earliest opportunity, Stokes stated he had let his sentiment to "circulate freely" among the playing group.
"I have completed all the talking in recent days that I required," said the England leader.
But, after Crawley scored 85 on the fourth day in the third Test, he stated: "I didn't see that."
"I wasn't actively searching for it. Our approach is to take anything stated in the media with some skepticism," Crawley continued.
Frank Discussions and Consistent Messaging
Stokes issued his "weak men" observation after his side suffered a loss in the second Test to fall 2-0 down.
The England squad afterwards went on a holiday to Noosa between the second and third Tests.
Before this match, he said his players had held "raw" conversations and he had asked them to "show a bit of dog" in their effort to remain alive in the series.
Nevertheless, Crawley stated the guidance from the captain and head coach Brendon McCullum had remained consistent with their prior tenure in charge.
"It's been very positive, the same as always," noted Crawley. "The focus is just trying to be optimistic, playing our brand, with lots of freedom. We believed we were capable of something special entering this Test."
The Hosts On the Verge of Rapid Ashes Triumph
Crawley's wicket late on Saturday came during a crucial three-wicket burst by Australia spinner Nathan Lyon.
Lyon's triple strike in a short spell – he also bowled Brook and Stokes himself – meant England 207-6 chasing a daunting total of 435.
This means, Australia require just four more wickets on Sunday's last day to move to an unassailable three-nil lead with three Tests.
A loss will extend England's drought in Australia to 18 consecutive matches and ensure a fourth successive overseas Ashes series loss.
The current battle will be completed in only 11 days of cricket – after England losing the initial matches in rapid time each.
Not since 1921, when Australia sealed victory in England in eight days, has the destination of the Ashes urn been decided more swiftly. The hosts have also won in eleven days on two other occasions in the modern era.
"This is disheartening," admitted the batsman. "We came here to win the Ashes and we're staring down the barrel at this point."
"There remains significant pride at stake and we will certainly approach it with that mindset," he continued.
"It's been difficult. They're a formidable side. It was always going to be hard touring here against them. They entered as the front-runners and they've proven why."
Ollie Pope's Position Under Scrutiny
Although the opener's innings in the third Test likely secures questions about his immediate future in the England team, Ollie Pope appears under threat for his spot in the fourth Test starting December 26th.
Pope fell for 17 in the team's second innings on Saturday, extending his poor record against Australia.
Across sixteen Ashes knocks, Pope has failed to score a half-century and averages 17.62.
Only one other England player in over a century – Dennis Amiss – has featured as many times in the top order in the Ashes and returned a lower average.
However, Crawley said any notion his teammate is under the microscope comes from "the media" – meaning the journalists – "not inside the camp."
"The squad is fully aware of his considerable talent," said Crawley. "Ollie has enjoyed a productive year to be frank."
"He has played some really good knocks. This is talk from the outside. There's no discussion like that regarding Pope amongst the players," he concluded.
