The English opener Crawley has indicated he had no knowledge of comments from captain Ben Stokes about the dressing room as no place for "those lacking fortitude".
Stokes delivered those words in multiple conversations following his team's defeat in the second match of the Ashes series against the Australians earlier this month.
In the lead-up to the Adelaide Test, where the visitors now face defeat with a match to spare, Stokes stated he had allowed his message to "drift around" within the playing group.
"I've done the necessary discussions in recent days that I needed to have done," remarked the England leader.
But, following Crawley made a knock of 85 on the fourth day in Adelaide, he stated: "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.
Raw Conversations and Steady Philosophy
The captain made the "fragile individuals" comment after his side were beaten in the second Test to go two matches behind.
The England squad subsequently went on a break to a Queensland resort in the gap between the second and the upcoming matches.
Before the Adelaide contest, Stokes said his players had held "honest" conversations and he had asked them to "display some fight" in their effort to remain in contention in the Ashes battle.
Nevertheless, Crawley asserted the guidance from Stokes and coach Brendon McCullum had stayed consistent with their prior three years in leadership.
"The atmosphere has been extremely upbeat, unchanged," said Crawley. "It's on maintaining positivity, play our way, with great liberty. We believed we could do something special going into this game."
Australia On the Verge of Rapid Ashes Triumph
The opener's wicket on day four was part of a crucial three-wicket burst by Australia off-spinner Lyon.
The spinner's three wickets in 20 deliveries – he also bowled Harry Brook and Ben Stokes – meant the chasing side six down for 207 chasing a daunting target of 435 runs.
Consequently, Australia need four wickets on the final day to secure an insurmountable three-nil advantage with three matches played.
Defeat will extend the English team's drought in Australia to 18 consecutive matches and ensure a fourth straight overseas Ashes series loss.
The current battle will be completed in just eleven days of play – with England fell the first two Tests in rapid time each.
Not since 1921, when the Australians sealed victory in the UK in eight days, has the outcome of the Ashes urn been decided so quickly. Australia have also triumphed in 11 days on two other instances in the modern era.
"It's disappointing," admitted Crawley. "We came here to win the Ashes and now we are facing elimination now."
"There remains significant pride at stake and we will definitely view it with that mindset," he continued.
"The challenge has been tough. They're a formidable team. It was always going to be tough coming here against them. They entered as the front-runners coming in to it have demonstrated their quality."
Pope's Position In Question
While the opener's performance in the third Test likely secures questions about his immediate future in the England team, Pope appears under immense pressure for his position in the fourth Test on Boxing Day.
Pope was out for 17 runs in the team's second knock on day four, extending his modest returns against Australia.
Across 16 Ashes innings, the Surrey man has failed to score a half-century and boasts an average of just 17.62.
Only one other English batsman in over a century – Amiss – has featured an equal number of innings in the top order in the Ashes and returned a lower average.
However, the opener insisted any suggestion Pope is under the microscope originates with "you guys" – meaning the journalists – "not inside the camp."
"We all know how good of a player he is," added he. "Ollie has enjoyed a productive year to be frank."
"He has produced several excellent innings. It is noise externally. There is no discussion of that nature regarding Pope in the camp," he finished.
