England opening batter Crawley has indicated he was not familiar with comments from skipper Stokes about the dressing room as no place for "those lacking fortitude".
The all-rounder made this message in multiple interviews following England's defeat in the second Ashes versus the Australians earlier this month.
In the lead-up to the Adelaide Test, where England now face a series loss at the earliest opportunity, the captain stated he had allowed his message to "circulate freely" among the playing group.
"I've done all the talking over the past two days that I required," remarked the England leader.
However, following the opener scored 85 on the penultimate day in Adelaide, he stated: "I missed those remarks."
"I didn't see and wasn't really looking out for it. We take anything stated in the press with some skepticism," Crawley continued.
The captain issued his "weak men" comment after his side were beaten in Brisbane to go 2-0 down.
The team subsequently went on a break to Noosa in the gap between the second and third Tests.
Before the Adelaide contest, he said his team had held "honest" conversations and he had urged them to "show a bit of dog" in their battle to stay in contention in the Ashes battle.
Yet, Crawley asserted the guidance from the captain and coach McCullum had stayed consistent with their previous three years in charge.
"It's been very positive, the same as always," said Crawley. "The focus is just trying to be optimistic, play our way, with lots of freedom. It felt like we could do an extraordinary feat entering this Test."
The opener's wicket on day four came during a crucial three-wicket burst by Australia off-spinner Lyon.
The spinner's three wickets in 20 deliveries – he also bowled Brook and Ben Stokes – meant England 207-6 in pursuit of a daunting target of 435.
Consequently, the home team need four wickets on the final day to secure an unassailable 3-0 lead with three matches played.
Defeat would prolong the English team's drought in Australia to 18 Tests and ensure a fourth straight away Ashes defeat.
This series will be completed in just eleven days of cricket – after England losing the initial matches in two and four days each.
Not since 1921, when Australia sealed victory in the UK in eight days, has the outcome of the Ashes urn been decided more swiftly. Australia have also triumphed in 11 days on two other occasions in the 21st century.
"This is disappointing," admitted the batsman. "We came here to win the Ashes and now we are staring down the barrel at this point."
"There will still be plenty to play for and we will definitely view it like that," he continued.
"The challenge has been tough. Australia is a very, very good team. It was inevitably tough touring here to face them. They were the favourites coming in to it have demonstrated their quality."
While Crawley's innings in Adelaide probably answers doubts about his immediate future in the side, Ollie Pope appears under immense pressure for his spot in the fourth Test starting December 26th.
The Surrey batsman fell for 17 runs in the team's second innings on day four, extending his modest returns versus Australia.
Across 16 Ashes innings, Pope has failed to score a fifty and averages just 17.62.
A solitary other English batsman in over a century – Dennis Amiss – has featured an equal number of innings in the top six in Ashes Tests and recorded a poorer average.
But, the opener said any suggestion his teammate is being scrutinised originates with "you guys" – meaning the press – "and not within the team."
"The squad is fully aware how good of a player he is," added he. "He has had a productive year if I'm honest."
"He has played several excellent innings. This is talk externally. There's no discussion of that nature regarding Pope in the camp," Crawley finished.
Eva de Vries is a passionate book lover and local writer from Eindhoven.
