The English opener Crawley suggested he was not familiar with comments made by captain Stokes about the team environment not being "those lacking fortitude".
Stokes made those words in multiple conversations following his team's loss in the second Ashes series against the Australians earlier this month.
In the lead-up to the Adelaide Test, where the visitors are staring at a series loss with a match to spare, Stokes noted he had allowed his message to "drift around" among the playing group.
"I've done the necessary discussions in recent days that I required," remarked the England leader.
But, after Crawley scored a knock of 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 everything that is said in the media with a pinch of salt," Crawley continued.
Raw Conversations and Steady Philosophy
Stokes made the "weak men" observation after England suffered a loss in the second Test to fall two matches behind.
The team afterwards went on a break to Noosa in the gap between the second and the upcoming Tests.
Before this match, Stokes said his team had held "honest" conversations and he had urged them to "display some fight" in their effort to remain alive in the series.
Yet, Crawley stated the messaging from Stokes and head coach Brendon McCullum had remained consistent with their prior tenure in leadership.
"The atmosphere has been very positive, unchanged," said Crawley. "It's on maintaining positivity, play our way, with great liberty. It felt like we were capable of an extraordinary feat entering this Test."
The Hosts On the Verge of Rapid Series Victory
The opener's dismissal late on Saturday was part of a decisive triple-strike by Australian off-spinner Nathan Lyon.
The spinner's triple strike in a short spell – he also bowled Brook and Stokes himself – left the chasing side 207-6 in pursuit of a notional total of 435 runs.
This means, Australia require just four more wickets on Sunday's final day to move to an unassailable 3-0 lead after three Tests.
Defeat will extend the English team's winless run in Australia to 18 Tests and ensure a fourth successive away Ashes series defeat.
The current battle will be completed in only eleven days of play – with England fell the initial matches in two and four days each.
Not since 1921, when the Australians completed victory in England in eight days, has the outcome of the urn been determined so quickly. Australia have also won in eleven days on two other instances in the 21st century.
"It's disappointing," said Crawley. "We came here to regain the Ashes and we're staring down the barrel at this point."
"There will still be plenty to play for and we'll certainly approach it like that," Crawley added.
"It's been difficult. They're a very, very good side. It was inevitably hard touring here against them. They entered as the front-runners and have demonstrated their quality."
Ollie Pope's Place Under Scrutiny
Although Crawley's performance in the third Test likely secures questions about his short-term future in the England team, Pope looks under threat for his position in the Melbourne Test starting December 26th.
The Surrey batsman was out for 17 runs in the team's second knock on Saturday, extending 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 English batsman in over a century – Dennis Amiss – has played an equal number of innings in the top six in the Ashes and recorded a poorer average.
But, Crawley said any notion his teammate is under the microscope originates with "you guys" – meaning the press – "and not within the team."
"We all know of his considerable talent," said he. "Ollie has enjoyed a good year to be frank."
"He has produced several excellent innings. It is talk from the outside. There is no discussion of that nature on Ollie amongst the players," Crawley concluded.
