England opener Crawley suggested he was not familiar with statements made by captain Stokes about the team environment as no place for "those lacking fortitude".
Stokes made this message in multiple conversations following England's defeat in the second match of the Ashes series against Australia earlier this month.
In the lead-up to the third Test, where the visitors are staring at a series loss at the earliest opportunity, the captain stated he had let his message to "circulate freely" within the squad.
"I have completed the necessary discussions over the past two days that I required," said the England leader.
However, after Crawley made 85 on the fourth 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 everything that is said in the press with some skepticism," he added.
Frank Discussions and Consistent Messaging
Stokes issued his "fragile individuals" observation after his side suffered a loss in Brisbane to fall 2-0 down.
The team afterwards went on a holiday to a Queensland resort in the gap between the second and the upcoming matches.
Prior to the Adelaide contest, he revealed his team had held "raw" talks and he had asked them to "display some fight" in their effort to stay in contention in the series.
Yet, the Kent batsman asserted the messaging from Stokes and coach Brendon McCullum had remained in line with their previous three years in charge.
"It's been very positive, unchanged," noted the opener. "It's on maintaining positivity, playing our brand, with lots of freedom. It felt like we could do something special entering this Test."
Australia On the Verge of Rapid Ashes Triumph
The opener's wicket on day four came during a crucial triple-strike by Australian off-spinner Lyon.
Lyon's three wickets in 20 deliveries – including the wickets of Brook and Stokes himself – left the chasing side 207-6 chasing a notional target of 435.
This means, Australia need just four more wickets on Sunday's last day to move to an unassailable three-nil advantage with three matches played.
A loss would prolong England's drought in this country to 18 consecutive matches and condemn them to a fourth straight away Ashes series loss.
This series will be completed in just 11 days of cricket – with England losing the initial matches in two and four days respectively.
Not since 1921, when Australia completed victory in England in eight days, has the outcome of the Ashes urn been determined more swiftly. The hosts have also won in eleven days on two other instances in the 21st century.
"It's disheartening," said the batsman. "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 will certainly approach it like that," Crawley added.
"The challenge has been tough. They're a very, very good team. It was inevitably hard touring here to face them. They entered as the favourites coming in to it have demonstrated their quality."
Ollie Pope's Position Under Scrutiny
While Crawley's innings in the third Test probably answers questions about his short-term future in the England team, Pope appears under threat for his spot in the fourth Test starting December 26th.
The Surrey batsman fell for 17 runs in the team's second knock on Saturday, extending his poor record against the old enemy.
In sixteen Ashes knocks, the Surrey man has failed to score a fifty and boasts an average of 17.62.
A solitary other England player since 1900 – Dennis Amiss – has featured an equal number of innings in the top order in Ashes Tests and returned a poorer average.
However, Crawley insisted any notion Pope is under the microscope originates with "you guys" – meaning the press – "not inside the camp."
"The squad is fully aware how good of a player he is," said he. "Ollie has enjoyed a good year to be frank."
"He has produced several excellent innings. It is noise from the outside. There is no discussion of that nature regarding Pope amongst the players," Crawley concluded.
