The English opening batter Crawley suggested he was not familiar with comments made by captain Ben Stokes about the team environment not being "weak men".
The all-rounder made this message in several conversations in the wake of England's defeat in the second Ashes versus the Australians previously.
In the lead-up to the Adelaide Test, where the visitors now face defeat with a match to spare, Stokes noted he had let his message to "drift around" within the squad.
"I've done the necessary discussions over the past two days that I required," remarked Stokes.
However, following the opener scored a knock of 85 on the fourth 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," Crawley continued.
Frank Discussions and Consistent Messaging
The captain made the "weak men" comment after his side were beaten in the second Test to fall two matches behind.
The team subsequently went on a holiday to Noosa in the gap between the second and the upcoming matches.
Prior to the Adelaide contest, Stokes revealed his team had held "honest" conversations and he had urged them to "display some fight" in their effort to stay alive in the series.
Nevertheless, the Kent batsman asserted the guidance from the captain and head coach Brendon McCullum had stayed in line with their previous three years in leadership.
"It's been extremely upbeat, the same as always," noted the opener. "The focus is on maintaining positivity, playing our brand, with great liberty. We believed we were capable of something special going into this Test."
Australia On the Verge of Rapid Ashes Triumph
Crawley's wicket on day four was part of a crucial three-wicket burst by Australia off-spinner Nathan Lyon.
Lyon's three wickets in 20 deliveries – he also bowled Harry Brook and Stokes himself – meant England six down for 207 chasing a notional target of 435 runs.
This means, Australia require just four more wickets on Sunday's last day to move to an insurmountable three-nil advantage after three matches played.
Defeat will extend England's drought in Australia to 18 consecutive matches and condemn them to a fourth successive overseas Ashes series loss.
This series will be completed in only eleven days of play – with England losing the initial matches in two and four days each.
The last time 1921, when Australia sealed a series win in the UK in eight days, has the outcome of the urn been decided so quickly. The hosts have also triumphed in eleven days on two other instances in the modern era.
"This is disheartening," admitted Crawley. "Our goal was to regain the Ashes and we're facing elimination at this point."
"There remains significant pride at stake and we'll certainly approach it with that mindset," he continued.
"It's been difficult. They're a very, very good side. It was inevitably tough coming here to face them. They entered as the front-runners coming in to it they've proven why."
Pope's Place Under Scrutiny
While Crawley's performance in Adelaide likely secures doubts about his short-term place in the side, Pope appears under threat for his position in the fourth Test on Boxing Day.
Pope fell for 17 runs in the team's second knock on day four, extending his poor record versus the old enemy.
In sixteen Ashes knocks, the Surrey man has never made a fifty and averages 17.62.
Only one other England player in over a century – Amiss – has played an equal number of innings in the top order in Ashes Tests and recorded a lower average.
However, Crawley said any suggestion his teammate is being scrutinised originates with "the media" – referring to the journalists – "not inside the camp."
"We all know of his considerable talent," added he. "Ollie has enjoyed a productive year to be frank."
"He has played some really good knocks. This is talk externally. There is no discussion like that regarding Pope amongst the players," he finished.
