The English opener Crawley suggested he was not familiar with comments made by captain Stokes about the team environment not being "those lacking fortitude".
Stokes made those words in multiple conversations following his team's loss in the second Ashes against Australia earlier this month.
Ahead of the third Test, where England now face defeat with a match to spare, Stokes noted he had allowed his sentiment to "drift around" within the squad.
"I have completed all the talking over the past two days that I required," remarked the England leader.
However, following the opener made a knock of 85 on the penultimate day in the third Test, he stated: "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," Crawley continued.
Frank Discussions and Consistent Messaging
Stokes made the "weak men" observation subsequent to England were beaten in Brisbane to go two matches behind.
The team afterwards took a break to Noosa in the gap between the second and third Tests.
Before this match, he said his players had held "honest" conversations and he had asked them to "display some fight" in their battle to stay in contention in the series.
Yet, Crawley asserted the guidance from the captain and coach Brendon McCullum had stayed in line with their previous tenure in charge.
"The atmosphere has been very positive, unchanged," said the opener. "It's just trying to be optimistic, play our way, with lots of freedom. It felt like we were capable of an extraordinary feat entering this Test."
The Hosts On the Verge of Historic Series Victory
Crawley's wicket late on Saturday came during a crucial triple-strike by Australia spinner Lyon.
The spinner's triple strike in a short spell – he also bowled Brook and Ben Stokes – meant the chasing side six down for 207 chasing a notional target of 435 runs.
This means, Australia need four wickets on the last day to move to an insurmountable three-nil lead with three Tests.
A loss would prolong the English team's drought in Australia to 18 consecutive matches and condemn them to a fourth successive overseas Ashes loss.
This series is set to be decided in just eleven days of play – with England fell the first two Tests in two and four days respectively.
The last time 1921, when Australia sealed a series win in England in eight days, has the destination of the Ashes urn been decided so quickly. Australia have also triumphed in eleven days on two other occasions in the modern era.
"It's disappointing," admitted the batsman. "We came here to win the Ashes and now we are staring down the barrel at this point."
"There remains significant pride at stake and we'll definitely view it with that mindset," he continued.
"It's been difficult. Australia is a very, very good team. It was always going to be hard coming here against them. They entered as the favourites coming in to it have demonstrated their quality."
Pope's Position Under Scrutiny
Although the opener's performance in the third Test likely secures doubts about his immediate future in the England team, Pope appears under immense pressure for his position in the Melbourne Test starting December 26th.
Pope was out for 17 in the team's second knock on day four, adding to his modest returns versus Australia.
Across sixteen Ashes knocks, the Surrey man has never made a half-century and boasts an average of just 17.62.
A solitary other English batsman in over a century – Amiss – has featured as many times in the top order in Ashes Tests and recorded a poorer average.
But, Crawley insisted any suggestion Pope is being scrutinised comes from "the media" – meaning the press – "and not within the team."
"The squad is fully aware how good of a player he is," said he. "Ollie has enjoyed a productive year if I'm honest."
"He has played several excellent innings. It is noise externally. There is no chat of that nature regarding Pope in the camp," he finished.
