The English opening batter Crawley has indicated he had no knowledge of comments from captain Stokes about the dressing room as no place for "those lacking fortitude".
The all-rounder made those words in several conversations following his team's loss in the second match of the Ashes series versus 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 noted he had allowed his sentiment to "drift around" among the squad.
"I have completed the necessary discussions over the past two days that I needed to have done," said the England leader.
But, following Crawley scored a knock of 85 on the fourth day in Adelaide, he commented: "I missed those remarks."
"I didn't see and wasn't really looking out for it. We take anything stated in the press with a pinch of salt," he added.
Frank Discussions and Consistent Messaging
The captain made the "weak men" observation subsequent to his side suffered a loss in the second Test to fall two matches behind.
The England squad afterwards took a holiday to a Queensland resort in the gap between the second and the upcoming Tests.
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 series.
Yet, Crawley stated the guidance from the captain and head coach Brendon McCullum had stayed in line with their prior three years in charge.
"It's been very positive, unchanged," noted Crawley. "It's on maintaining positivity, play our way, with great liberty. It felt like we were capable of something special going into this game."
The Hosts Close of Rapid Ashes Triumph
Crawley's dismissal on day four came during a decisive triple-strike by Australia spinner Lyon.
Lyon's three wickets in 20 deliveries – including the wickets of Brook and Stokes himself – meant the chasing side 207-6 in pursuit of a daunting target of 435.
This means, Australia need just four more wickets on Sunday's final day to secure an insurmountable three-nil lead with three Tests.
A loss will extend England's drought in Australia to 18 Tests and condemn them to a fourth straight overseas Ashes loss.
This series will be completed in just 11 days of play – after England fell the initial matches in two and four days 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 eleven days on two other occasions in the 21st century.
"This is disappointing," said Crawley. "Our goal was to regain the Ashes and now we are facing elimination now."
"There will still be plenty to play for and we will definitely view it with that mindset," he continued.
"It's been difficult. Australia is a formidable team. It was always going to be tough coming here to face them. They were the favourites and they've proven why."
Ollie Pope's Place In Question
While Crawley's innings in the third Test probably answers doubts about his short-term place in the England team, Pope appears under immense pressure for his spot in the fourth Test starting December 26th.
The Surrey batsman was out for 17 runs in England's second knock on Saturday, adding to his poor record against Australia.
Across sixteen Ashes knocks, the Surrey man has failed to score a fifty and boasts an average of 17.62.
Only one other English batsman since 1900 – Dennis Amiss – has featured an equal number of innings in the top six in Ashes Tests and recorded a lower average.
However, Crawley said any notion Pope is being scrutinised originates with "the media" – referring to the press – "and not within the team."
"We all know how good of a player he is," said Crawley. "Ollie has enjoyed a productive year if I'm honest."
"He has produced several excellent innings. It is talk from the outside. There is no chat of that nature regarding Pope in the camp," he finished.
