The English opening batter Crawley has indicated he had no knowledge of comments made by skipper Ben Stokes about the team environment not being "those lacking fortitude".
Stokes made those words in several interviews in the wake of his team's loss in the second Ashes versus the Australians earlier this month.
Ahead of the third Test, where the visitors are staring at defeat with a match to spare, Stokes stated he had let his sentiment to "circulate freely" among the playing group.
"I have completed the necessary discussions in recent days that I needed to have done," said the England leader.
But, after Crawley scored 85 on the penultimate day in the third Test, he commented: "I missed those remarks."
"I didn't see and wasn't really looking out for it. We take everything that is said in the press with some skepticism," Crawley continued.
Raw Conversations and Consistent Messaging
The captain made the "fragile individuals" observation subsequent to his side suffered a loss in Brisbane to fall 2-0 down.
The England squad subsequently went on a holiday to a Queensland resort between the second and third matches.
Prior to the Adelaide contest, he revealed his team had held "raw" conversations and he had urged them to "show a bit of dog" in their effort to stay in contention in the series.
Nevertheless, Crawley stated the guidance from Stokes and coach Brendon McCullum had remained consistent with their previous tenure in charge.
"The atmosphere has been extremely upbeat, unchanged," said the opener. "The focus is just trying to be optimistic, playing our brand, with lots of freedom. We believed we could do something special going into this game."
The Hosts On the Verge of Rapid Series Victory
Crawley's dismissal late on Saturday was part of a crucial three-wicket burst by Australia off-spinner Nathan Lyon.
The spinner's three wickets in a short spell – he also bowled Brook and Stokes himself – left the chasing side six down for 207 in pursuit of a daunting total of 435.
This means, the home team need four wickets on the final day to secure an unassailable three-nil advantage with three Tests.
Defeat would prolong England's drought in Australia to 18 Tests and condemn them to a fourth successive away Ashes defeat.
This series is set to be decided in just 11 days of cricket – after England losing the initial matches in two and four days respectively.
Not since 1921, when Australia completed victory in the UK in eight days, has the destination of the urn been decided so quickly. Australia have also triumphed in 11 days on two other instances in the 21st century.
"This is disheartening," said the batsman. "Our goal was to win the Ashes and we're facing elimination now."
"There will still be significant pride at stake and we will definitely view it with that mindset," he continued.
"It's been difficult. They're a very, very good side. It was inevitably tough touring here against them. They entered as the favourites and they've proven why."
Pope's Position In Question
While the opener's performance in Adelaide probably answers doubts about his short-term place in the England team, Ollie Pope looks under threat for his spot in the Melbourne Test on Boxing Day.
Pope fell for 17 runs in the team's second innings on day four, adding to his modest returns against the old enemy.
Across 16 Ashes innings, the Surrey man has never made a fifty and averages just 17.62.
A solitary other England player in over a century – Amiss – has played an equal number of innings in the top order in the Ashes and recorded a lower average.
But, the opener said any suggestion Pope is under the microscope originates with "the media" – referring to the journalists – "not inside the camp."
"We all know of his considerable talent," added he. "He has had a productive year to be frank."
"He has played some really good knocks. It is noise from the outside. There's no chat like that on Ollie amongst the players," Crawley concluded.
