England opening batter Crawley has indicated he was not familiar with comments from captain Ben Stokes regarding the team environment as no place for "those lacking fortitude".
The all-rounder delivered those words in multiple conversations in the wake of England's loss in the second Ashes against Australia earlier this month.
In the lead-up to the Adelaide Test, where the visitors are staring at defeat with a match to spare, the captain noted he had allowed his sentiment to "drift around" within the playing group.
"I have completed all the talking over the past two days that I needed to have done," remarked Stokes.
But, after the opener scored a knock of 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 media with a pinch of salt," Crawley continued.
Frank Discussions and Steady Philosophy
Stokes made the "fragile individuals" comment after England suffered a loss in Brisbane to go two matches behind.
The team subsequently took a holiday to a Queensland resort between the second and third matches.
Prior to the Adelaide contest, Stokes revealed his team had held "raw" talks and he had asked them to "show a bit of dog" in their effort to remain alive in the Ashes battle.
Yet, the Kent batsman asserted the guidance from Stokes and head coach McCullum had stayed in line with their prior three years in charge.
"It's been very positive, unchanged," said Crawley. "The focus is on maintaining positivity, playing our brand, with great liberty. It felt like we were capable of an extraordinary feat going into this game."
Australia Close of Historic Series Victory
The opener's wicket late on Saturday was part of a decisive triple-strike by Australian spinner Nathan Lyon.
Lyon's three wickets in 20 deliveries – including the wickets of Harry Brook and Stokes himself – meant the chasing side six down for 207 chasing a daunting target of 435 runs.
Consequently, the home team need four wickets on the last day to move to an unassailable 3-0 advantage after three matches played.
A loss will extend England's drought in this country to 18 consecutive matches and ensure a fourth successive overseas Ashes series defeat.
This series will be completed in only eleven days of cricket – after England fell the first two Tests in two and four days each.
Not since 1921, when Australia completed a series win in the UK in eight days, has the outcome of the Ashes urn been determined more swiftly. The hosts have also won in 11 days on two other occasions in the modern era.
"This is disappointing," said the batsman. "We came here to win the Ashes and we're staring down the barrel now."
"There will still be significant pride at stake and we'll definitely view it with that mindset," Crawley added.
"It's been tough. They're a very, very good team. It was inevitably tough coming here to face them. They were the front-runners and have demonstrated their quality."
Pope's Position Under Scrutiny
While Crawley's performance in the third Test likely secures questions about his short-term place in the side, Ollie Pope appears under threat for his spot in the Melbourne Test starting December 26th.
The Surrey batsman was out for 17 in the team's second knock on day four, extending his modest returns versus Australia.
Across 16 Ashes innings, the Surrey man has failed to score a half-century and boasts an average of 17.62.
A solitary other English batsman in over a century – Amiss – has featured an equal number of innings in the top six in Ashes Tests and recorded a lower average.
But, the opener said any suggestion Pope is being scrutinised comes from "you guys" – referring to the journalists – "not inside the camp."
"The squad is fully aware of his considerable talent," said he. "He has had a good year if I'm honest."
"He has produced several excellent innings. This is talk from the outside. There is no chat of that nature on Ollie in the camp," Crawley finished.
