England opening batter Crawley has indicated he had no knowledge of comments made by skipper Stokes regarding the team environment not being "weak men".
The all-rounder delivered those words in several conversations in the wake of his team's loss in the second Ashes series versus the Australians previously.
Ahead of the third Test, where the visitors are staring at a series loss with a match to spare, Stokes stated he had allowed his sentiment to "circulate freely" among the playing group.
"I have completed the necessary discussions over the past two days that I required," said Stokes.
But, following the opener scored a knock of 85 on the fourth day in the third Test, he commented: "I missed those remarks."
"I wasn't actively searching for it. We take everything that is said in the media with a pinch of salt," he added.
Raw Conversations and Consistent Messaging
Stokes issued his "weak men" observation after his side were beaten in Brisbane to fall two matches behind.
The team subsequently took a break to Noosa between the second and third matches.
Prior to the Adelaide contest, he said his players had held "honest" talks and he had urged them to "show a bit of dog" in their battle to remain alive in the Ashes battle.
Nevertheless, the Kent batsman stated the messaging from Stokes and head coach McCullum had stayed consistent with their prior tenure in charge.
"The atmosphere has been very positive, the same as always," noted the opener. "The focus is on maintaining positivity, playing our brand, with lots of freedom. It felt like we were capable of an extraordinary feat entering this Test."
Australia On the Verge of Rapid Series Victory
Crawley's dismissal on day four was part of a crucial three-wicket burst by Australia off-spinner Nathan Lyon.
The spinner's triple strike in a short spell – he also bowled Brook and Stokes himself – left the chasing side 207-6 chasing a notional total of 435.
Consequently, Australia require just four more wickets on Sunday's final day to secure an unassailable 3-0 advantage with three Tests.
A loss would prolong England's winless run in Australia to 18 consecutive matches and ensure a fourth successive away Ashes loss.
This series is set to be decided in only eleven days of cricket – after England fell the initial matches in two and four days each.
Not since 1921, when the Australians completed victory in the UK in eight days, has the outcome of the Ashes urn been decided so quickly. The hosts have also won in 11 days on two other instances in the 21st century.
"This is disheartening," admitted Crawley. "Our goal was to regain the Ashes and now we are staring down the barrel at this point."
"There will still be plenty to play for and we'll certainly approach it like that," he continued.
"The challenge has been difficult. Australia is a formidable team. It was always going to be tough touring here against them. They entered as the front-runners and they've proven why."
Pope's Position Under Scrutiny
Although Crawley's performance in Adelaide probably answers questions about his immediate place in the England team, Ollie Pope looks under immense pressure for his spot in the Melbourne Test on Boxing Day.
The Surrey batsman fell for 17 in England's second knock on Saturday, adding to his poor record versus Australia.
Across sixteen Ashes knocks, Pope has never made a fifty and boasts an average of just 17.62.
Only one other English batsman in over a century – Amiss – has featured as many times in the top six in the Ashes and returned a poorer average.
However, Crawley insisted any suggestion Pope is under the microscope comes from "you guys" – referring to the journalists – "not inside the camp."
"The squad is fully aware how good of a player he is," said Crawley. "Ollie has enjoyed a productive year to be frank."
"He has played several excellent innings. This is noise externally. There is no chat of that nature regarding Pope amongst the players," Crawley finished.
