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 made those words in several conversations following his team's defeat in the second match of the Ashes series versus the Australians earlier this month.
In the lead-up to the Adelaide Test, where England now face a series loss at the earliest opportunity, the captain noted he had allowed his message to "drift around" within the squad.
"I've done the necessary discussions over the past two days that I needed to have done," said the England leader.
But, after Crawley scored 85 on the penultimate day in the third Test, he stated: "I missed those remarks."
"I didn't see and wasn't really looking out for it. Our approach is to take anything stated in the media with a pinch of salt," Crawley continued.
Raw Conversations and Consistent Messaging
Stokes made the "weak men" observation after his side suffered a loss in Brisbane to fall 2-0 down.
The team afterwards went on a break to Noosa in the gap between the second and third matches.
Before this match, Stokes revealed his players had held "raw" conversations and he had asked them to "display some fight" in their battle to stay alive in the Ashes battle.
Nevertheless, Crawley asserted the guidance from Stokes and head coach Brendon McCullum had stayed in line with their previous three years in charge.
"The atmosphere has been very positive, unchanged," noted Crawley. "The focus is on maintaining positivity, playing our brand, with lots of freedom. It felt like we were capable of an extraordinary feat going into this Test."
The Hosts On the Verge of Rapid Ashes Triumph
Crawley's wicket late on Saturday was part of a decisive three-wicket burst by Australia spinner Lyon.
The spinner's triple strike in 20 deliveries – including the wickets of Harry Brook and Ben Stokes – meant England six down for 207 chasing a daunting target of 435.
This means, Australia require four wickets on Sunday's last day to move to an unassailable 3-0 advantage after three matches played.
Defeat will extend England's winless run in this country to 18 Tests and ensure a fourth successive overseas Ashes series loss.
This series is set to be decided in just 11 days of cricket – after England fell the first two Tests in two and four days respectively.
Not since 1921, when the Australians completed a series win in the UK in eight days, has the destination of the urn been determined so quickly. The hosts have also triumphed in eleven days on two other instances in the modern era.
"It's disappointing," admitted Crawley. "We came here to regain the Ashes and we're staring down the barrel at this point."
"There remains significant pride at stake and we'll definitely view it with that mindset," Crawley added.
"It's been difficult. Australia is a very, very good side. It was inevitably tough coming here against them. They entered as the favourites coming in to it they've proven why."
Pope's Position Under Scrutiny
While the opener's innings in the third Test likely secures doubts about his short-term place in the side, Pope appears under immense pressure for his position in the Melbourne Test on Boxing Day.
The Surrey batsman fell for 17 in the team's second knock on day four, extending his poor record against Australia.
In sixteen Ashes knocks, Pope has failed to score a fifty and boasts an average of just 17.62.
A solitary other England player since 1900 – Amiss – has featured an equal number of innings in the top six in Ashes Tests and recorded a poorer average.
But, Crawley insisted any notion Pope is under the microscope originates with "the media" – referring to the journalists – "and not within the team."
"We all know how good of a player he is," said Crawley. "He has had a good year if I'm honest."
"He has produced some really good knocks. It is talk externally. There is no chat of that nature regarding Pope in the camp," he finished.
