England opener Crawley suggested he had no knowledge of statements from captain Ben Stokes about the dressing room as no place for "weak men".
The all-rounder delivered those words in several conversations in the wake of England's defeat in the second match of the Ashes versus the Australians previously.
In the lead-up to the Adelaide Test, where England now face a series loss at the earliest opportunity, the captain stated he had let his message to "circulate freely" among the playing group.
"I've done all the talking over the past two days that I needed to have done," said the England leader.
However, following Crawley made 85 on the penultimate day in Adelaide, he commented: "I didn't see that."
"I didn't see and wasn't really looking out for it. Our approach is to take anything stated in the media with a pinch of salt," Crawley continued.
Raw Conversations and Consistent Messaging
The captain issued his "weak men" observation subsequent to his side suffered a loss in Brisbane to go two matches behind.
The England squad subsequently took a break to a Queensland resort in the gap between the second and the upcoming Tests.
Prior to the Adelaide contest, Stokes said his team had held "honest" talks and he had urged them to "show a bit of dog" in their battle to remain alive in the series.
Nevertheless, Crawley stated the guidance from the captain and coach McCullum had remained consistent with their prior three years in charge.
"The atmosphere has been extremely upbeat, the same as always," said Crawley. "It's on maintaining positivity, play our way, with lots of freedom. We believed we could do something special entering this game."
The Hosts On the Verge of Rapid Ashes Triumph
Crawley's wicket on day four was part of a decisive three-wicket burst by Australia spinner Lyon.
Lyon's triple strike in 20 deliveries – he also bowled Harry Brook and Ben Stokes – left England six down for 207 chasing a notional target of 435 runs.
Consequently, the home team need four wickets on Sunday's last day to secure an unassailable 3-0 advantage after three Tests.
Defeat will extend the English team's drought in this country 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 losing the first two Tests in rapid time respectively.
The last time 1921, when Australia completed a series win in the UK in eight days, has the outcome of the urn been determined more swiftly. Australia have also won in 11 days on two other instances in the modern era.
"It's disheartening," said Crawley. "We came here to win the Ashes and now we are staring down the barrel at this point."
"There remains plenty to play for and we'll definitely view it like that," he continued.
"The challenge has been tough. Australia is a formidable team. It was inevitably tough touring here against them. They were the front-runners coming in to it they've proven why."
Ollie Pope's Place Under Scrutiny
Although Crawley's innings in the third Test probably answers questions about his short-term place in the side, Pope appears under threat for his spot in the fourth Test starting December 26th.
Pope was out for 17 in England's second knock on Saturday, extending his modest returns versus Australia.
In 16 Ashes innings, Pope has never made a half-century and boasts an average of 17.62.
Only one other English batsman since 1900 – Dennis Amiss – has featured as many times in the top six in the Ashes and recorded a poorer average.
However, Crawley said any suggestion Pope is being scrutinised originates with "you guys" – meaning the press – "not inside the camp."
"The squad is fully aware of his considerable talent," added he. "Ollie has enjoyed a good year if I'm honest."
"He has produced several excellent innings. This is noise externally. There is no discussion of that nature regarding Pope in the camp," Crawley concluded.
