The English opener Crawley suggested he was not familiar with comments made by skipper Ben Stokes about the dressing room as no place for "weak men".
Stokes delivered this message in several interviews following his team's defeat in the second match of the Ashes against Australia earlier this month.
In the lead-up to the third Test, where England now face a series loss with a match to spare, the captain stated he had let his message to "circulate freely" within the squad.
"I've done all the talking in recent days that I required," said Stokes.
However, after Crawley scored a knock of 85 on the penultimate day in the third Test, he commented: "I didn't see that."
"I didn't see and wasn't really looking out for it. Our approach is to take anything stated in the media with a pinch of salt," Crawley continued.
Raw Conversations and Consistent Messaging
Stokes issued his "fragile individuals" comment after his side were beaten in the second Test to fall two matches behind.
The team subsequently went on a holiday to Noosa between the second and the upcoming Tests.
Before this match, Stokes said his players had held "honest" talks and he had asked them to "display some fight" in their effort to stay alive in the series.
Nevertheless, the Kent batsman stated the messaging from the captain and head coach Brendon McCullum had remained consistent with their previous three years in leadership.
"It's been very positive, the same as always," noted the opener. "The focus is just trying to be optimistic, playing our brand, with lots of freedom. We believed we could do something special going into this game."
The Hosts On the Verge of Rapid Series Victory
The opener's wicket on day four came during a crucial three-wicket burst by Australian off-spinner Nathan Lyon.
The spinner's three wickets in 20 deliveries – including the wickets of Harry Brook and Ben Stokes – left England six down for 207 in pursuit of a daunting target of 435.
This means, the home team require just four more wickets on Sunday's final day to secure an unassailable 3-0 advantage with three Tests.
A loss will extend England's winless run in Australia to 18 consecutive matches and ensure a fourth successive away Ashes series defeat.
The current battle will be completed in just 11 days of cricket – with England losing the first two Tests in two and four days each.
The last time 1921, when Australia sealed a series win in England in eight days, has the outcome of the Ashes urn been decided more swiftly. The hosts have also triumphed in eleven days on two other instances in the 21st century.
"It's disappointing," admitted Crawley. "Our goal was to win the Ashes and we're facing elimination at this point."
"There remains plenty to play for and we'll certainly approach it with that mindset," he continued.
"The challenge has been tough. They're a very, very good team. It was inevitably hard coming here to face them. They entered as the front-runners and they've proven why."
Pope's Position Under Scrutiny
While Crawley's innings in Adelaide likely secures questions about his immediate future in the England team, Pope looks under immense pressure for his position in the fourth Test starting December 26th.
The Surrey batsman was out for 17 in England's second innings on Saturday, extending his modest returns against the old enemy.
In sixteen Ashes knocks, the Surrey man has failed to score a fifty and boasts an average of 17.62.
Only one other England player since 1900 – Dennis Amiss – has featured an equal number of innings in the top six in the Ashes and recorded a lower average.
However, the opener said any notion Pope is under the microscope comes from "you guys" – referring to the press – "and not within the team."
"The squad is fully aware of his considerable talent," added he. "He has had a good year if I'm honest."
"He has played several excellent innings. This is talk externally. There is no discussion of that nature on Ollie amongst the players," Crawley concluded.
