The English opening batter Crawley has indicated he was not familiar with comments made by captain Stokes regarding the team environment as no place for "weak men".
Stokes delivered this message in several conversations following his team's defeat in the second Ashes series versus Australia earlier this month.
Ahead of the third Test, where England now face a series loss at the earliest opportunity, the captain noted he had let his message to "circulate freely" within the playing group.
"I've done the necessary discussions in recent days that I required," remarked the England leader.
But, after the opener made a knock of 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 everything that is said in the press with some skepticism," Crawley continued.
Raw Conversations and Consistent Messaging
The captain made the "weak men" comment after England suffered a loss in the second Test to fall two matches behind.
The team subsequently took a break to Noosa in the gap between the second and the upcoming Tests.
Before the Adelaide contest, Stokes said his players had held "honest" conversations and he had asked them to "show a bit of dog" in their battle to remain alive in the series.
Nevertheless, the Kent batsman asserted the messaging from Stokes and coach McCullum had stayed in line with their prior tenure in leadership.
"The atmosphere has been very positive, the same as always," said Crawley. "The focus is just trying to be optimistic, playing our brand, with lots of freedom. We believed we were capable of an extraordinary feat entering this game."
The Hosts On the Verge of Rapid Ashes Triumph
The opener's wicket on day four came during a decisive triple-strike by Australian spinner Lyon.
Lyon's triple strike in a short spell – including the wickets of Harry Brook and Stokes himself – left England 207-6 in pursuit of a notional target of 435 runs.
This means, the home team need four wickets on the last day to move to an unassailable three-nil advantage after three Tests.
A loss will extend the English team's drought in this country to 18 Tests and condemn them to a fourth successive away Ashes series loss.
The current battle will be completed in just 11 days of play – with England losing the initial matches in rapid time each.
Not since 1921, when Australia sealed a series win in England in eight days, has the outcome of the urn been determined so quickly. Australia have also triumphed in eleven days on two other occasions in the 21st century.
"This is disheartening," admitted Crawley. "We came here to win the Ashes and we're facing elimination now."
"There will still be significant pride at stake and we will certainly approach it like that," Crawley added.
"The challenge has been difficult. Australia is a very, very good team. It was inevitably hard touring here to face them. They were the favourites and they've proven why."
Ollie Pope's Position Under Scrutiny
While the opener's performance in the third Test probably answers questions about his short-term place in the side, Pope appears under immense pressure for his spot in the fourth Test on Boxing Day.
The Surrey batsman was out for 17 runs in the team's second innings on day four, adding to his modest returns versus Australia.
In sixteen Ashes knocks, the Surrey man has never made a fifty and averages 17.62.
Only one other English batsman since 1900 – Dennis Amiss – has featured an equal number of innings in the top six in Ashes Tests and returned a poorer average.
But, Crawley said any suggestion Pope is being scrutinised originates with "you guys" – referring to the journalists – "not inside the camp."
"The squad is fully aware how good of a player he is," said he. "Ollie has enjoyed a good year to be frank."
"He has played several excellent innings. It is talk externally. There's no discussion of that nature on Ollie in the camp," Crawley finished.
