The English opener Crawley suggested he was not familiar with statements made by skipper Ben Stokes regarding the team environment not being "those lacking fortitude".
Stokes made those words in multiple conversations following his team's loss in the second match of the Ashes series versus Australia previously.
Ahead of the third Test, where the visitors are staring at defeat at the earliest opportunity, the captain noted he had let his message to "drift around" among the squad.
"I've done all the talking in recent days that I needed to have done," remarked Stokes.
However, after Crawley scored a knock of 85 on the fourth day in Adelaide, he stated: "I missed those remarks."
"I didn't see and wasn't really looking out for it. Our approach is to take anything stated in the media with some skepticism," he added.
Raw Conversations and Consistent Messaging
The captain made the "weak men" comment after his side were beaten in the second Test to go 2-0 down.
The England squad subsequently went on a break to Noosa between the second and the upcoming Tests.
Prior to the Adelaide contest, he revealed his players had held "honest" talks and he had urged them to "show a bit of dog" in their battle to stay alive in the series.
Nevertheless, the Kent batsman asserted the messaging from Stokes and head coach McCullum had stayed consistent with their prior tenure in charge.
"It's been extremely upbeat, unchanged," noted the opener. "The focus is on maintaining positivity, playing our brand, with lots of freedom. We believed we could do something special entering this game."
The Hosts Close of Historic Ashes Triumph
The opener's dismissal on day four came during a crucial triple-strike by Australian spinner Nathan Lyon.
Lyon's triple strike in 20 deliveries – including the wickets of Brook and Ben Stokes – meant England six down for 207 chasing a daunting total of 435.
Consequently, Australia need just four more wickets on Sunday's last day to secure an unassailable three-nil advantage after three matches played.
Defeat would prolong England's winless run in this country to 18 Tests and ensure a fourth straight away Ashes series defeat.
The current battle is set to be decided in just eleven days of cricket – after England losing the first two Tests in rapid time each.
Not since 1921, when the Australians sealed a series win in the UK in eight days, has the outcome of the Ashes urn been determined more swiftly. The hosts have also triumphed in eleven days on two other instances in the modern era.
"It's disheartening," admitted the batsman. "We came here to regain 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," Crawley added.
"It's been tough. They're a formidable team. It was inevitably tough touring here against them. They were the favourites and have demonstrated their quality."
Pope's Place Under Scrutiny
Although Crawley's performance in the third Test likely secures questions about his immediate place in the side, Pope appears under immense pressure for his position in the Melbourne Test on Boxing Day.
Pope was out for 17 in the team's second knock on Saturday, adding to his poor record against the old enemy.
In sixteen Ashes knocks, the Surrey man has failed to score a fifty and averages just 17.62.
A solitary other English batsman in over a century – Amiss – has featured as many times in the top six in the Ashes and returned a lower average.
But, Crawley insisted any notion Pope is under the microscope comes from "the media" – meaning the journalists – "not inside the camp."
"The squad is fully aware how good of a player he is," said he. "Ollie has enjoyed a good year if I'm honest."
"He has produced several excellent innings. It is noise externally. There is no discussion like that on Ollie amongst the players," Crawley concluded.
