England opening batter Crawley has indicated he was not familiar with comments from skipper Ben Stokes about the team environment as no place for "weak men".
The all-rounder made this message in several interviews in the wake of his team's loss in the second match of the Ashes versus the Australians previously.
In the lead-up to the third Test, where the visitors now face defeat with a match to spare, the captain noted he had let his message to "drift around" within the squad.
"I have completed all the talking over the past two days that I needed to have done," remarked Stokes.
But, after Crawley made 85 on the fourth day in Adelaide, he commented: "I didn't see that."
"I didn't see and wasn't really looking out for it. Our approach is to take anything stated in the press with a pinch of salt," Crawley continued.
Raw Conversations and Steady Philosophy
The captain issued his "weak men" comment subsequent to his side suffered a loss in the second Test to go two matches behind.
The England squad afterwards took a break to Noosa between the second and the upcoming matches.
Before the Adelaide contest, Stokes revealed his team had held "honest" conversations and he had asked them to "display some fight" in their effort to remain in contention in the series.
Yet, the Kent batsman asserted the guidance from Stokes and head coach Brendon McCullum had remained in line with their previous three years in leadership.
"The atmosphere has been very positive, unchanged," noted Crawley. "The focus is on maintaining positivity, playing our brand, with great liberty. It felt like we were capable of something special going into this game."
Australia On the Verge of Rapid Ashes Triumph
The opener's wicket late on Saturday was part of a decisive triple-strike by Australian off-spinner Lyon.
The spinner's three wickets in a short spell – including the wickets of Harry Brook and Stokes himself – left England six down for 207 in pursuit of a daunting target of 435 runs.
This means, the home team require just four more wickets on Sunday's final day to secure an insurmountable 3-0 lead after three matches played.
Defeat would prolong England's drought in Australia to 18 Tests and ensure a fourth successive overseas Ashes series defeat.
The current battle is set to be decided in just eleven days of cricket – with England losing the first two Tests in rapid time respectively.
The last time 1921, when the Australians completed victory in the UK in eight days, has the destination of the urn been determined more swiftly. Australia have also triumphed in 11 days on two other instances in the 21st century.
"This is disappointing," admitted the batsman. "We came here to regain the Ashes and now we are facing elimination now."
"There remains plenty to play for and we'll definitely view it with that mindset," Crawley added.
"The challenge has been difficult. Australia is a formidable side. It was always going to be tough touring here to face them. They entered as the front-runners and have demonstrated their quality."
Ollie Pope's Place In Question
While Crawley's innings in the third Test likely secures questions about his short-term place in the side, Pope appears under immense pressure for his spot in the Melbourne Test starting December 26th.
The Surrey batsman was out for 17 runs in England's second knock on day four, adding to his poor record versus the old enemy.
Across sixteen Ashes knocks, Pope has failed to score a fifty and boasts an average of 17.62.
A solitary other England player in over a century – Amiss – has featured an equal number of innings in the top order in Ashes Tests and recorded a poorer average.
However, Crawley insisted any notion his teammate is being scrutinised originates with "the media" – meaning the press – "not inside the camp."
"The squad is fully aware how good of a player he is," said he. "Ollie has enjoyed a good year if I'm honest."
"He has played several excellent innings. This is talk externally. There's no chat of that nature regarding Pope amongst the players," Crawley concluded.
