The English opening batter Crawley suggested he had no knowledge of comments made by skipper Ben Stokes regarding the team environment not being "weak men".
The all-rounder delivered those words in several conversations following England's loss in the second Ashes against Australia earlier this month.
Ahead of the third Test, where the visitors are staring at defeat with a match to spare, Stokes noted he had let his sentiment to "circulate freely" within the playing group.
"I've done the necessary discussions over the past two days that I needed to have done," remarked the England leader.
However, after the opener made a knock of 85 on the fourth day in Adelaide, he commented: "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 some skepticism," Crawley continued.
Frank Discussions and Consistent Messaging
The captain made the "weak men" observation after England were beaten in Brisbane to fall 2-0 down.
The team subsequently took a holiday to Noosa between the second and the upcoming matches.
Prior to the Adelaide contest, he revealed his players had held "honest" talks and he had asked them to "show a bit of dog" in their effort to stay in contention in the Ashes battle.
Nevertheless, Crawley stated the guidance from Stokes and head coach Brendon McCullum had stayed in line with their prior tenure in charge.
"The atmosphere has been extremely upbeat, the same as always," noted Crawley. "The focus is on maintaining positivity, playing our brand, with great liberty. It felt like we were capable of something special entering this game."
Australia On the Verge of Rapid Series Victory
Crawley's dismissal late on Saturday was part of a crucial triple-strike by Australian spinner Nathan Lyon.
Lyon's triple strike in 20 deliveries – he also bowled Brook and Stokes himself – left the chasing side 207-6 chasing a daunting target of 435.
This means, Australia need just four more wickets on the last day to move to an insurmountable 3-0 advantage with three Tests.
Defeat will extend England's drought in Australia to 18 Tests and ensure a fourth successive overseas Ashes defeat.
This series will be completed in only 11 days of cricket – after England fell the initial matches in two and four days each.
Not since 1921, when Australia completed a series win in England in eight days, has the outcome of the Ashes urn been determined so quickly. The hosts have also triumphed in eleven days on two other occasions in the modern era.
"It's disheartening," admitted the batsman. "Our goal was to win the Ashes and we're facing elimination at this point."
"There will still be plenty to play for and we'll definitely view it with that mindset," Crawley added.
"The challenge has been difficult. Australia is a formidable team. It was inevitably hard touring here against them. They entered as the front-runners coming in to it they've proven why."
Pope's Place Under Scrutiny
Although Crawley's performance in Adelaide probably answers questions about his immediate future in the side, Pope looks under threat for his position in the fourth Test on Boxing Day.
Pope fell for 17 runs in the team's second innings on Saturday, adding to his modest returns versus the old enemy.
In sixteen Ashes knocks, the Surrey man has never made a fifty and boasts an average of 17.62.
Only one other England player since 1900 – Amiss – has played as many times in the top six in the Ashes and recorded a poorer average.
But, the opener insisted any notion his teammate is being scrutinised comes from "you guys" – meaning the journalists – "not inside the camp."
"We all know of his considerable talent," said Crawley. "Ollie has enjoyed a good year to be frank."
"He has played some really good knocks. This is noise externally. There is no chat like that regarding Pope in the camp," Crawley concluded.
