England opener Crawley has indicated he was not familiar with comments from skipper Ben Stokes regarding the dressing room as no place for "weak men".
Stokes delivered those words in multiple conversations in the wake of his team's loss in the second match of the Ashes versus the Australians earlier this month.
Ahead of the third Test, where the visitors are staring at a series loss with a match to spare, Stokes noted he had let his message to "circulate freely" within the playing group.
"I have completed the necessary discussions in recent days that I needed to have done," remarked the England leader.
However, following the opener made 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," Crawley continued.
Frank Discussions and Steady Philosophy
Stokes issued his "weak men" comment subsequent to his side were beaten in the second Test to fall two matches behind.
The team subsequently took a holiday to Noosa between the second and third Tests.
Before this match, Stokes said his team had held "raw" talks and he had urged them to "show a bit of dog" in their effort to stay alive in the Ashes battle.
Nevertheless, Crawley asserted the guidance from Stokes and head coach Brendon McCullum had remained consistent with their prior three years in charge.
"It's been very positive, the same as always," noted Crawley. "It's on maintaining positivity, playing our brand, with lots of freedom. It felt like we could do something special going into this game."
Australia On the Verge of Historic Series Victory
Crawley's wicket on day four came during a crucial triple-strike by Australia off-spinner Lyon.
The spinner's triple strike in a short spell – he also bowled Harry Brook and Ben Stokes – left England six down for 207 in pursuit of a daunting target of 435.
This means, Australia require four wickets on the final day to move to an insurmountable three-nil advantage after three Tests.
A loss would prolong England's drought in Australia to 18 Tests and condemn them to a fourth straight overseas Ashes defeat.
This series is set to be decided in just eleven days of cricket – after England fell the first two Tests in two and four days each.
The last time 1921, when Australia completed a series win in the UK in eight days, has the outcome of the urn been determined so quickly. Australia have also won in 11 days on two other instances in the 21st century.
"This is disappointing," said the batsman. "Our goal was to regain the Ashes and we're staring down the barrel now."
"There will still be significant pride at stake and we will definitely view it with that mindset," he continued.
"It's been tough. They're a very, very good team. It was always going to be tough coming here against them. They were the favourites coming in to it have demonstrated their quality."
Pope's Position Under Scrutiny
While the opener's performance in the third Test likely secures doubts about his immediate place in the side, Pope looks under threat for his position in the Melbourne Test on Boxing Day.
Pope was out for 17 in the team's second innings on Saturday, adding to his modest returns versus the old enemy.
In 16 Ashes innings, Pope has failed to score a half-century and averages 17.62.
A solitary other English batsman in over a century – Dennis Amiss – has played as many times in the top order in Ashes Tests and returned a lower average.
But, the opener insisted any notion his teammate is being scrutinised comes from "you guys" – meaning the press – "and not within the team."
"The squad is fully aware of his considerable talent," added Crawley. "He has had a good year if I'm honest."
"He has produced several excellent innings. It is talk from the outside. There's no chat of that nature on Ollie in the camp," he finished.
