England opener Crawley has indicated he was not familiar with comments from skipper Ben Stokes regarding the dressing room as no place for "those lacking fortitude".
The all-rounder made this message in multiple conversations following his team's defeat in the second Ashes series against Australia earlier this month.
Ahead of the Adelaide Test, where England now face defeat at the earliest opportunity, the captain stated he had allowed his sentiment to "drift around" within the squad.
"I have completed all the talking in recent days that I required," remarked Stokes.
However, after Crawley scored a knock of 85 on the fourth day in the third Test, he commented: "I didn't see that."
"I wasn't actively searching for it. Our approach is to take everything that is said in the press with some skepticism," he added.
Frank Discussions and Consistent Messaging
The captain made the "fragile individuals" comment after England were beaten in Brisbane to go two matches behind.
The team subsequently took a break to a Queensland resort in the gap between the second and third Tests.
Before the Adelaide contest, he revealed his team had held "raw" conversations and he had urged them to "display some fight" in their effort to stay alive in the series.
Nevertheless, the Kent batsman stated the messaging from the captain and head coach Brendon McCullum had stayed in line with their prior tenure in leadership.
"It's been extremely upbeat, unchanged," said Crawley. "It's just trying to be optimistic, play our way, with lots of freedom. We believed we were capable of something special going into this game."
Australia On the Verge of Historic Ashes Triumph
Crawley's dismissal on day four was part of a crucial triple-strike by Australian spinner Lyon.
The spinner's three wickets in 20 deliveries – including the wickets of Brook and Stokes himself – meant England six down for 207 chasing a daunting target of 435 runs.
Consequently, Australia need just four more wickets on the final day to move to an unassailable three-nil advantage with three matches played.
A loss would prolong the English team's winless run in Australia to 18 consecutive matches and ensure a fourth straight overseas Ashes defeat.
This series is set to be decided in just eleven days of cricket – after England losing the first two Tests in two and four days respectively.
Not since 1921, when Australia completed a series win in the UK in eight days, has the outcome of the urn been determined more swiftly. The hosts have also triumphed in eleven days on two other occasions in the 21st century.
"It's disappointing," said Crawley. "Our goal was to regain the Ashes and now we are staring down the barrel now."
"There will still be significant pride at stake and we will certainly approach it like that," Crawley added.
"It's been difficult. Australia is a very, very good team. It was inevitably tough touring here to face them. They entered as the front-runners and have demonstrated their quality."
Pope's Place In Question
While the opener's performance in the third Test likely secures doubts about his immediate place in the England team, Ollie Pope appears under threat for his position in the fourth Test on Boxing Day.
The Surrey batsman was out for 17 in the team's second innings on Saturday, adding to his modest returns versus the old enemy.
In sixteen Ashes knocks, Pope has never made a fifty and averages 17.62.
A solitary other England player since 1900 – Amiss – has featured an equal number of innings in the top order in the Ashes and returned a poorer average.
However, Crawley insisted any notion Pope is being scrutinised comes from "you guys" – meaning the journalists – "and not within the team."
"The squad is fully aware of his considerable talent," added he. "He has had a productive year if I'm honest."
"He has produced some really good knocks. It is talk from the outside. There's no discussion like that on Ollie amongst the players," he concluded.
