England opening batter Crawley has indicated he had no knowledge of comments from captain Ben Stokes regarding the dressing room not being "weak men".
Stokes made this message in several conversations following his team's defeat in the second Ashes versus the Australians earlier this month.
In the lead-up to the Adelaide Test, where the visitors are staring at a series loss at the earliest opportunity, the captain noted he had allowed his message to "circulate freely" within the playing group.
"I have completed the necessary discussions over the past two days that I needed to have done," said Stokes.
However, after Crawley scored 85 on the fourth day in the third Test, he commented: "I didn't see that."
"I didn't see and wasn't really looking out for it. We take anything stated in the media with a pinch of salt," he added.
Frank Discussions and Consistent Messaging
Stokes issued his "weak men" comment subsequent to his side suffered a loss in the second Test to go 2-0 down.
The England squad subsequently went on a break to a Queensland resort in the gap between the second and the upcoming matches.
Prior to this match, Stokes said his team had held "raw" conversations and he had urged them to "display some fight" in their effort to remain in contention in the series.
Nevertheless, Crawley stated the guidance from Stokes and head coach McCullum had remained consistent with their previous three years in charge.
"The atmosphere has been extremely upbeat, unchanged," noted Crawley. "It's on maintaining positivity, play our way, with lots of freedom. We believed we could do something special going into this Test."
The Hosts On the Verge of Rapid Series Victory
Crawley's wicket on day four came during a crucial triple-strike by Australia off-spinner Nathan Lyon.
The spinner's three wickets in 20 deliveries – including the wickets of Brook and Ben Stokes – left England six down for 207 chasing a daunting total of 435 runs.
Consequently, Australia need just four more wickets on Sunday's last day to move to an insurmountable three-nil lead with three Tests.
A loss will extend the English team's winless run in this country to 18 Tests and ensure a fourth straight overseas Ashes loss.
The current battle will be completed in just eleven days of cricket – with England losing the first two Tests in rapid time each.
The last time 1921, when Australia completed a series win in the UK in eight days, has the outcome of the Ashes urn been decided so quickly. Australia have also triumphed in 11 days on two other occasions in the modern era.
"This is disheartening," admitted the batsman. "Our goal was to regain the Ashes and now we are facing elimination now."
"There remains significant pride at stake and we'll definitely view it like that," Crawley added.
"It's been difficult. Australia is a formidable side. It was always going to be hard touring here against them. They were the front-runners and they've proven why."
Ollie Pope's Position In Question
Although the opener's innings in the third Test probably answers doubts about his short-term place in the England team, Ollie Pope appears under immense pressure for his position in the Melbourne Test on Boxing Day.
Pope fell for 17 runs in England's second innings on Saturday, adding to his poor record versus Australia.
In sixteen Ashes knocks, Pope has failed to score a half-century and averages 17.62.
A solitary other English batsman since 1900 – Dennis Amiss – has played as many times in the top six in the Ashes and recorded a poorer average.
But, Crawley said any suggestion Pope is under the microscope originates with "the media" – meaning the journalists – "and not within the team."
"The squad is fully aware how good of a player he is," added Crawley. "He has had a good year to be frank."
"He has played some really good knocks. It is noise externally. There is no chat like that on Ollie in the camp," Crawley finished.
