England opener Crawley suggested he had no knowledge of statements made by captain Ben Stokes about the dressing room as no place for "weak men".
Stokes made those words in multiple conversations following England's defeat in the second Ashes series against the Australians earlier this month.
In the lead-up to the Adelaide Test, where England are staring at a series loss with a match to spare, Stokes stated he had allowed his message to "circulate freely" among the squad.
"I've done the necessary discussions in recent days that I needed to have done," said the England leader.
However, after Crawley made 85 on the fourth day in the third Test, he stated: "I didn't see that."
"I wasn't actively searching for it. Our approach is to take anything stated in the media with some skepticism," Crawley continued.
Frank Discussions and Steady Philosophy
The captain made the "weak men" observation subsequent to his side suffered a loss in the second Test to fall 2-0 down.
The team subsequently went on a break to Noosa between the second and the upcoming Tests.
Prior to the Adelaide contest, Stokes revealed his players had held "honest" talks and he had urged them to "show a bit of dog" in their effort to remain alive in the Ashes battle.
Yet, Crawley stated the guidance from the captain and coach McCullum had stayed consistent with their prior three years in leadership.
"It's been very positive, unchanged," said the opener. "The focus is on maintaining positivity, play our way, with lots of freedom. We believed we were capable of something special going into this game."
The Hosts On the Verge of Historic Ashes Triumph
Crawley's dismissal on day four was part of a crucial three-wicket burst by Australia off-spinner Lyon.
The spinner's three wickets in a short spell – he also bowled Brook and Stokes himself – left the chasing side 207-6 in pursuit of a notional total of 435.
Consequently, the home team require four wickets on the last day to secure an unassailable 3-0 lead after three Tests.
Defeat would prolong the English team's winless run in this country to 18 consecutive matches and ensure a fourth straight overseas Ashes loss.
The current battle is set to be decided in only 11 days of cricket – after England losing the initial matches in two and four days each.
The last time 1921, when Australia sealed victory in the UK in eight days, has the destination of the urn been decided more swiftly. The hosts have also triumphed in eleven days on two other occasions in the modern era.
"It's disappointing," said Crawley. "We came here to regain the Ashes and now we are staring down the barrel now."
"There will still be plenty to play for and we'll definitely view it like that," he continued.
"It's been difficult. Australia is a formidable side. It was always going to be tough touring here against them. They were the favourites and they've proven why."
Ollie Pope's Position Under Scrutiny
While the opener's innings in the third Test probably answers questions about his short-term future in the England team, Pope looks under immense pressure for his position in the Melbourne Test starting December 26th.
The Surrey batsman was out for 17 in the team's second innings on Saturday, adding to his poor record versus the old enemy.
Across 16 Ashes innings, Pope has failed to score a fifty and boasts an average of just 17.62.
Only one other England player in over a century – Dennis Amiss – has featured an equal number of innings in the top order in the Ashes and returned a lower average.
But, the opener said any notion his teammate is being scrutinised comes from "the media" – meaning the press – "not inside the camp."
"We all know of his considerable talent," added he. "Ollie has enjoyed a good year to be frank."
"He has produced some really good knocks. This is noise from the outside. There's no discussion of that nature on Ollie amongst the players," he finished.
