The English opener Crawley has indicated he was not familiar with statements made by skipper Ben Stokes regarding the team environment not being "those lacking fortitude".
Stokes made this message in several interviews following England's loss in the second Ashes against Australia earlier this month.
In the lead-up to the third Test, where the visitors are staring at defeat with a match to spare, the captain noted he had let his sentiment to "circulate freely" among the playing group.
"I have completed all the talking over the past two days that I required," remarked Stokes.
However, following Crawley scored 85 on the fourth day in the third Test, he stated: "I didn't see that."
"I wasn't actively searching for it. Our approach is to take anything stated in the media with some skepticism," Crawley continued.
Frank Discussions and Consistent Messaging
The captain made the "weak men" observation after his side suffered a loss in the second Test to go 2-0 down.
The England squad subsequently took a break to Noosa in the gap between the second and third Tests.
Prior to the Adelaide contest, he revealed his team had held "raw" conversations and he had asked them to "display some fight" in their effort to stay in contention in the Ashes battle.
Nevertheless, the Kent batsman asserted the guidance from Stokes and head coach Brendon McCullum had remained in line with their previous tenure in leadership.
"It's been extremely upbeat, the same as always," noted the opener. "It's just trying to be optimistic, playing our brand, with great liberty. It felt like we could do something special entering this Test."
Australia Close of Historic Ashes Triumph
The opener's wicket late on Saturday was part of a decisive triple-strike by Australia off-spinner Lyon.
The spinner's triple strike in 20 deliveries – including the wickets of Brook and Stokes himself – left the chasing side 207-6 chasing a notional target of 435 runs.
Consequently, the home team require four wickets on the final day to secure an unassailable three-nil advantage after three matches played.
Defeat would prolong England's drought in this country to 18 consecutive matches and condemn them to a fourth straight away Ashes series defeat.
The current battle is set to be decided in just eleven days of cricket – with England fell the first two Tests in rapid time respectively.
Not since 1921, when Australia completed a series win in England in eight days, has the outcome of the urn been decided more swiftly. The hosts have also won in eleven days on two other occasions in the modern era.
"This is disheartening," admitted Crawley. "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'll definitely view it with that mindset," he continued.
"It's been tough. They're a formidable side. It was inevitably hard touring here to face them. They entered as the front-runners coming in to it have demonstrated their quality."
Pope's Position Under Scrutiny
Although the opener's performance in Adelaide likely secures questions about his immediate place in the side, Ollie Pope looks under immense pressure for his spot in the fourth Test on Boxing Day.
The Surrey batsman fell for 17 runs in England's second innings on day four, adding to his poor record versus Australia.
In sixteen Ashes knocks, Pope has failed to score a fifty and boasts an average of just 17.62.
A solitary other England player in over a century – Dennis Amiss – has played an equal number of innings in the top order in Ashes Tests and recorded a lower average.
However, the opener said any suggestion Pope is being scrutinised comes from "the media" – referring to the press – "and not within the team."
"We all know how good of a player he is," added Crawley. "Ollie has enjoyed a good year to be frank."
"He has played several excellent innings. This is talk from the outside. There's no chat of that nature on Ollie amongst the players," Crawley finished.
