The English opener Crawley has indicated he was not familiar with comments from captain Ben Stokes about the dressing room as no place for "those lacking fortitude".
The all-rounder delivered this message in several interviews following his team's loss in the second Ashes versus the Australians previously.
In the lead-up to the third Test, where the visitors now face defeat with a match to spare, the captain stated he had let his message to "drift around" among the playing group.
"I have completed all the talking in recent days that I required," said the England leader.
But, following Crawley scored 85 on the penultimate 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 press with a pinch of salt," he added.
Frank Discussions and Consistent Messaging
Stokes made the "fragile individuals" observation after England suffered a loss in Brisbane to fall two matches behind.
The England squad subsequently went on a break to Noosa between the second and third matches.
Prior to the Adelaide contest, he said his team had held "honest" talks and he had urged them to "display some fight" in their effort to stay in contention in the Ashes battle.
Yet, the Kent batsman asserted the guidance 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. "It's just trying to be optimistic, play our way, with lots of freedom. It felt like we were capable of an extraordinary feat entering this game."
The Hosts On the Verge of Rapid Ashes Triumph
Crawley's wicket late on Saturday came during a crucial triple-strike by Australian spinner Nathan Lyon.
The spinner's three wickets in 20 deliveries – he also bowled Harry Brook and Ben Stokes – left the chasing side 207-6 in pursuit of a notional total of 435 runs.
Consequently, the home team require four wickets on the last day to secure an unassailable three-nil advantage with three Tests.
A loss would prolong the English team's winless run in Australia to 18 consecutive matches and condemn them to a fourth successive overseas Ashes loss.
The current battle is set to be decided in just 11 days of play – after England fell the first two Tests in two and four days respectively.
The last time 1921, when the Australians completed victory in England in eight days, has the destination of the Ashes urn been decided more swiftly. The hosts have also triumphed in 11 days on two other instances in the modern era.
"This is disheartening," said the batsman. "We came here to regain the Ashes and we're facing elimination at this point."
"There will still be significant pride at stake and we'll definitely view it like that," he continued.
"The challenge has been tough. They're a formidable side. It was inevitably tough touring here against them. They were the favourites coming in to it they've proven why."
Pope's Place Under Scrutiny
While the opener's innings in the third Test probably answers doubts about his immediate future in the side, Ollie Pope looks under immense pressure for his position in the fourth Test on Boxing Day.
The Surrey batsman fell for 17 in the team's second knock on day four, adding to his modest returns versus Australia.
In sixteen Ashes knocks, Pope has never made a half-century and boasts an average of just 17.62.
A solitary other English batsman in over a century – Dennis Amiss – has featured an equal number of innings in the top six in the Ashes and recorded a poorer average.
However, Crawley said any suggestion his teammate is being scrutinised comes from "you guys" – meaning the journalists – "not inside the camp."
"The squad is fully aware of his considerable talent," said Crawley. "He has had a productive year to be frank."
"He has produced some really good knocks. This is noise from the outside. There's no discussion like that regarding Pope in the camp," he finished.
