England opening batter Crawley suggested he was not familiar with statements from skipper Ben Stokes about the dressing room not being "those lacking fortitude".
The all-rounder delivered those words in several conversations in the wake of England's loss in the second Ashes versus Australia earlier this month.
Ahead of the third Test, where the visitors now face a series loss with a match to spare, Stokes noted he had allowed his message to "circulate freely" among the playing group.
"I have completed the necessary discussions over the past two days that I required," remarked Stokes.
But, following Crawley scored 85 on the penultimate day in the third Test, he stated: "I missed those remarks."
"I wasn't actively searching for it. Our approach is to take anything stated in the press with a pinch of salt," he added.
Frank Discussions and Consistent Messaging
Stokes issued his "weak men" observation after England 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 the upcoming Tests.
Before this match, he said his team had held "raw" talks and he had urged them to "show a bit of dog" in their effort to remain in contention in the series.
Yet, the Kent batsman asserted the guidance from Stokes and head coach McCullum had remained in line with their prior three years in leadership.
"It's been very positive, the same as always," noted Crawley. "The focus is just trying to be optimistic, play our way, with great liberty. We believed we could do something special going into this game."
The Hosts On the Verge of Historic Series Victory
Crawley's dismissal on day four was part of a crucial three-wicket burst by Australian off-spinner Lyon.
The spinner's triple strike in 20 deliveries – he also bowled Harry Brook and Ben Stokes – left England 207-6 in pursuit of a notional total of 435.
Consequently, the home team need just four more wickets on the last day to secure an unassailable 3-0 advantage after three Tests.
Defeat would prolong the English team's drought in Australia to 18 consecutive matches and ensure a fourth successive overseas Ashes series defeat.
This series is set to be decided in just 11 days of play – with 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 determined so quickly. The hosts have also won in eleven days on two other instances in the 21st century.
"It's disheartening," said the batsman. "We came here to win the Ashes and now we are staring down the barrel now."
"There will still be plenty to play for and we will definitely view it with that mindset," Crawley added.
"The challenge has been tough. They're a formidable team. It was always going to be hard touring here against them. They were the front-runners and they've proven why."
Pope's Position In Question
While Crawley's innings in the third Test likely secures questions about his immediate place in the side, Ollie Pope appears under threat for his spot in the fourth Test starting December 26th.
The Surrey batsman was out for 17 runs in England's second innings on Saturday, adding to his modest returns versus the old enemy.
Across 16 Ashes innings, Pope has never made a half-century and boasts an average of just 17.62.
A solitary other English batsman since 1900 – Dennis Amiss – has featured an equal number of innings in the top order in Ashes Tests and recorded a lower average.
However, the opener insisted any notion his teammate is under the microscope comes from "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 productive year to be frank."
"He has played several excellent innings. This is noise externally. There is no chat like that on Ollie amongst the players," he finished.
