England opener Crawley suggested he had no knowledge of comments made by skipper Ben Stokes about the team environment not being "those lacking fortitude".
Stokes made this message in multiple interviews in the wake of England's defeat in the second Ashes versus the Australians earlier this month.
Ahead of the Adelaide Test, where the visitors are staring at defeat at the earliest opportunity, Stokes stated he had let his message to "drift around" within the playing group.
"I have completed all the talking over the past two days that I needed to have done," remarked the England leader.
However, following the opener made a knock of 85 on the fourth day in Adelaide, he commented: "I didn't see that."
"I wasn't actively searching for it. We take anything stated in the media with some skepticism," Crawley continued.
Raw Conversations and Consistent Messaging
The captain made the "fragile individuals" observation after England suffered a loss in Brisbane to go two matches behind.
The England squad subsequently went on a break to Noosa in the gap between the second and the upcoming matches.
Prior to this match, he said his team had held "raw" conversations and he had urged them to "display some fight" in their battle to remain in contention in the Ashes battle.
Yet, Crawley stated the guidance from the captain and head coach McCullum had stayed consistent with their prior tenure in charge.
"It's been very positive, the same as always," said the opener. "It's just trying to be optimistic, play our way, with lots of freedom. It felt like we could do an extraordinary feat going into this Test."
The Hosts On the Verge of Rapid Ashes Triumph
The opener's dismissal on day four was part of a decisive three-wicket burst by Australia off-spinner Nathan Lyon.
Lyon's triple strike in a short spell – he also bowled Brook and Ben Stokes – left England 207-6 chasing a daunting target of 435.
Consequently, Australia need four wickets on the final day to move to an unassailable 3-0 advantage with three Tests.
Defeat would prolong England's drought in this country to 18 Tests and ensure a fourth successive away Ashes loss.
The current battle is set to be decided in only eleven days of cricket – with England fell the first two Tests in two and four days respectively.
Not since 1921, when Australia sealed a series win in the UK in eight days, has the outcome of the urn been determined more swiftly. The hosts have also won in 11 days on two other occasions in the 21st century.
"It's disheartening," admitted the batsman. "Our goal was to win the Ashes and now we are facing elimination at this point."
"There will still be plenty to play for and we'll definitely view it like that," Crawley added.
"The challenge has been tough. Australia is a formidable side. It was inevitably hard coming here to face them. They entered as the front-runners and have demonstrated their quality."
Ollie Pope's Place Under Scrutiny
Although the opener's performance in Adelaide likely secures questions about his short-term place in the England team, Pope looks under threat for his position in the Melbourne Test on Boxing Day.
Pope was out for 17 runs in England's second knock on day four, extending his poor record versus Australia.
In sixteen Ashes knocks, the Surrey man has never made a fifty and boasts an average of just 17.62.
Only one other English batsman since 1900 – Dennis Amiss – has played as many times in the top six in Ashes Tests and recorded a poorer average.
However, the opener insisted any notion his teammate is under the microscope comes from "the media" – meaning the press – "and not within the team."
"We all know of his considerable talent," said he. "Ollie has enjoyed a good year if I'm honest."
"He has played some really good knocks. This is noise from the outside. There is no discussion like that on Ollie amongst the players," Crawley concluded.