The English opening batter Crawley has indicated he was not familiar with statements from captain Stokes about the team environment not being "those lacking fortitude".
Stokes delivered this message in multiple conversations following his team's loss in the second Ashes series against Australia earlier this month.
Ahead of the Adelaide Test, where the visitors are staring at a series loss at the earliest opportunity, the captain stated he had let his sentiment to "drift around" within the squad.
"I've done all the talking over the past two days that I needed to have done," remarked the England leader.
But, after the opener made a knock of 85 on the fourth day in the third Test, he commented: "I didn't see that."
"I wasn't actively searching for it. Our approach is to take everything that is said in the media with some skepticism," he added.
Frank Discussions and Steady Philosophy
Stokes issued his "fragile individuals" observation subsequent to his side were beaten in Brisbane to go two matches behind.
The England squad afterwards went on a holiday to a Queensland resort in the gap between the second and third Tests.
Before this match, Stokes revealed his players had held "honest" conversations and he had asked them to "display some fight" in their effort to stay in contention in the Ashes battle.
Yet, the Kent batsman stated the messaging from Stokes and coach Brendon McCullum had remained consistent with their previous tenure in charge.
"It's been extremely upbeat, unchanged," noted Crawley. "The focus is just trying to be optimistic, playing our brand, with great liberty. It felt like we were capable of something special going into this game."
The Hosts On the Verge of Rapid Ashes Triumph
The opener's dismissal on day four was part of a decisive triple-strike by Australian off-spinner Lyon.
Lyon's three wickets in a short spell – he also bowled Harry Brook and Stokes himself – left England 207-6 chasing a daunting target of 435.
Consequently, Australia require four wickets on the final day to move to an unassailable three-nil advantage with three matches played.
Defeat would prolong the English team's winless run in Australia to 18 Tests and ensure a fourth successive away Ashes series defeat.
The current battle is set to be decided in just 11 days of cricket – after England losing the initial matches in two and four days respectively.
Not since 1921, when the Australians sealed a series win in the UK in eight days, has the destination of the urn been decided more swiftly. Australia have also triumphed in eleven days on two other occasions in the 21st century.
"It's disheartening," said Crawley. "We came here to regain the Ashes and now we are staring down the barrel now."
"There will still be plenty to play for and we'll definitely view it like that," he continued.
"It's been tough. They're a formidable team. It was always going to be hard touring here against them. They were the favourites and have demonstrated their quality."
Ollie Pope's Position Under Scrutiny
While Crawley's performance in Adelaide likely secures doubts about his immediate place in the England team, Pope looks under immense pressure for his spot in the fourth Test starting December 26th.
The Surrey batsman fell for 17 runs in England's second knock on day four, adding to his poor record against the old enemy.
Across sixteen Ashes knocks, Pope has failed to score a half-century and boasts an average of 17.62.
A solitary other England player in over a century – Amiss – has featured an equal number of innings in the top six in the Ashes and returned a poorer average.
However, the opener insisted any notion his teammate is under the microscope comes from "the media" – meaning the journalists – "not inside the camp."
"We all know of his considerable talent," said Crawley. "Ollie has enjoyed a good year to be frank."
"He has played several excellent innings. This is talk externally. There is no discussion like that on Ollie amongst the players," he concluded.
