The English opening batter Crawley suggested he was not familiar with statements from skipper Stokes about the team environment as no place for "those lacking fortitude".
The all-rounder delivered those words in several interviews following his team's loss in the second Ashes against the Australians previously.
In the lead-up to the third Test, where the visitors are staring at a series loss at the earliest opportunity, Stokes noted he had let his message to "drift around" among the playing group.
"I've done the necessary discussions over the past two days that I needed to have done," remarked Stokes.
However, after the opener scored a knock of 85 on the fourth day in Adelaide, he commented: "I missed those remarks."
"I didn't see and wasn't really looking out for it. We take anything stated in the press with a pinch of salt," Crawley continued.
Frank Discussions and Consistent Messaging
Stokes made the "weak men" comment subsequent to England were beaten in the second Test to go two matches behind.
The England squad afterwards took a holiday to Noosa between the second and the upcoming Tests.
Before this match, Stokes said his players had held "raw" talks and he had asked them to "display some fight" in their effort to stay in contention in the Ashes battle.
Nevertheless, Crawley asserted the guidance from the captain and coach McCullum had stayed in line with their prior three years in charge.
"The atmosphere has been very positive, unchanged," said the opener. "The focus is on maintaining positivity, playing our brand, with great liberty. It felt like we could do an extraordinary feat entering this Test."
Australia On the Verge of Historic Series Victory
The opener's dismissal on day four came during a crucial triple-strike by Australian off-spinner Nathan Lyon.
Lyon's three wickets in 20 deliveries – he also bowled Brook and Ben Stokes – meant the chasing side 207-6 chasing a daunting total of 435 runs.
This means, Australia need four wickets on Sunday's final day to move to an insurmountable three-nil advantage with three matches played.
Defeat would prolong the English team's drought in this country to 18 consecutive matches and ensure a fourth successive overseas Ashes series defeat.
The current battle will be completed in only 11 days of cricket – after England losing the first two Tests in two and four days each.
The last time 1921, when Australia sealed victory in the UK in eight days, has the destination of the urn been determined more swiftly. Australia have also triumphed in eleven days on two other instances in the 21st century.
"It's disappointing," said Crawley. "Our goal was to win the Ashes and now we are staring down the barrel now."
"There remains significant pride at stake and we will definitely view it like that," he continued.
"The challenge has been difficult. Australia is a very, very good team. It was always going to be tough coming here to face them. They entered as the front-runners and have demonstrated their quality."
Pope's Place Under Scrutiny
While the opener's innings in Adelaide probably answers questions about his immediate future in the England team, Pope looks under immense pressure for his spot in the fourth Test on Boxing Day.
Pope fell for 17 in the team's second innings on Saturday, adding to his poor record against Australia.
Across 16 Ashes innings, the Surrey man has failed to score a fifty and averages 17.62.
Only one other English batsman in over a century – Amiss – has featured an equal number of innings in the top order in the Ashes and recorded a lower average.
But, Crawley insisted any suggestion his teammate is under the microscope originates with "you guys" – referring to the press – "not inside the camp."
"The squad is fully aware of his considerable talent," said he. "He has had a good year if I'm honest."
"He has produced several excellent innings. This is talk externally. There's no discussion like that regarding Pope in the camp," he finished.
