The English opener Crawley suggested he was not familiar with comments from captain Ben Stokes about the team environment not being "those lacking fortitude".
Stokes delivered those words in multiple conversations following his team's defeat in the second match of the Ashes series versus the Australians previously.
Ahead of the third Test, where the visitors now face a series loss at the earliest opportunity, the captain noted he had allowed his message to "drift around" among the playing group.
"I've done all the talking in recent days that I required," said Stokes.
However, after the opener scored a knock of 85 on the penultimate day in the third Test, he stated: "I missed those remarks."
"I didn't see and wasn't really looking out for it. We take everything that is said in the media with a pinch of salt," he added.
Frank Discussions and Consistent Messaging
The captain made the "weak men" comment after his side suffered a loss in Brisbane to fall two matches behind.
The team afterwards took a holiday to Noosa in the gap between the second and the upcoming matches.
Prior to this match, Stokes revealed his team had held "raw" conversations and he had urged them to "display some fight" in their battle to stay in contention in the Ashes battle.
Nevertheless, the Kent batsman asserted the messaging from Stokes and coach McCullum had stayed in line with their prior tenure in charge.
"It's been very positive, the same as always," noted the opener. "The focus is just trying to be optimistic, playing our brand, with lots of freedom. We believed we were capable of an extraordinary feat going into this Test."
The Hosts On the Verge of Rapid Series Victory
The opener's wicket on day four came during a crucial triple-strike by Australia off-spinner Nathan Lyon.
The spinner's triple strike in a short spell – including the wickets of Harry Brook and Ben Stokes – meant England six down for 207 chasing a daunting total of 435 runs.
Consequently, the home team need just four more wickets on the last day to move to an insurmountable 3-0 lead after three Tests.
A loss would prolong the English team's winless run in Australia to 18 Tests and condemn them to a fourth successive overseas Ashes series defeat.
This series will be completed in only eleven days of cricket – after England fell the first two Tests in two and four days each.
The last time 1921, when Australia sealed a series win in the UK in eight days, has the outcome of the urn been decided more swiftly. Australia have also triumphed in 11 days on two other occasions in the 21st century.
"It's disheartening," admitted Crawley. "We came here to win the Ashes and now we are facing elimination at this point."
"There remains significant pride at stake and we will certainly approach it like that," he continued.
"It's been difficult. Australia is a very, very good side. It was inevitably tough coming here to face them. They entered as the favourites coming in to it have demonstrated their quality."
Pope's Position Under Scrutiny
Although the opener's performance in the third Test probably answers doubts about his short-term place in the side, Pope looks under threat for his position in the fourth Test starting December 26th.
Pope was out for 17 runs in England's second knock on day four, extending his poor record versus the old enemy.
In 16 Ashes innings, the Surrey man has failed to score a half-century and averages 17.62.
Only one other England player since 1900 – Amiss – has featured as many times in the top order in the Ashes and recorded a poorer average.
However, Crawley said any suggestion his teammate is under the microscope originates with "the media" – meaning the journalists – "not inside the camp."
"We all know of his considerable talent," added he. "Ollie has enjoyed a good year to be frank."
"He has played several excellent innings. It is noise externally. There is no chat of that nature regarding Pope amongst the players," he finished.
