The English opener Crawley has indicated he had no knowledge of comments made by skipper Stokes regarding the dressing room as no place for "weak men".
Stokes delivered this message in several conversations in the wake of England's loss in the second match of the Ashes against Australia previously.
Ahead of the Adelaide Test, where the visitors are staring at defeat with a match to spare, Stokes stated he had allowed his message to "circulate freely" within the playing group.
"I've done the necessary discussions in recent days that I needed to have done," remarked Stokes.
However, following the opener scored a knock of 85 on the penultimate day in Adelaide, he stated: "I didn't see that."
"I didn't see and wasn't really looking out for it. We take anything stated in the press with some skepticism," he added.
Frank Discussions and Consistent Messaging
Stokes issued his "fragile individuals" comment subsequent to his side were beaten in Brisbane to go two matches behind.
The team afterwards took a break to Noosa in the gap between the second and third Tests.
Prior to this match, Stokes said his team had held "raw" talks and he had urged them to "display some fight" in their battle to remain in contention in the series.
Yet, the Kent batsman stated the guidance from the captain and head coach McCullum had remained consistent with their previous three years in charge.
"It's been very positive, the same as always," noted the opener. "It's just trying to be optimistic, playing our brand, with lots of freedom. It felt like we could do something special entering this Test."
The Hosts On the Verge of Historic Series Victory
The opener's dismissal late on Saturday came during a decisive triple-strike by Australian spinner Nathan Lyon.
Lyon's triple strike in 20 deliveries – he also bowled Brook and Ben Stokes – meant England 207-6 chasing a notional target of 435.
Consequently, Australia need four wickets on the last day to move to an unassailable 3-0 lead after three matches played.
Defeat would prolong England's drought in this country to 18 Tests and ensure 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.
Not since 1921, when Australia completed a series win in England in eight days, has the destination of the urn been determined so quickly. Australia have also won in 11 days on two other occasions in the modern era.
"It's disappointing," admitted the batsman. "We came here to regain the Ashes and we're staring down the barrel now."
"There will still be plenty to play for and we will definitely view it with that mindset," Crawley added.
"It's been difficult. They're a formidable team. It was inevitably tough coming here to face them. They were the front-runners coming in to it they've proven why."
Pope's Position In Question
Although Crawley's innings in the third Test probably answers doubts about his immediate place in the England team, Ollie Pope appears under threat for his spot in the fourth Test starting December 26th.
Pope was out for 17 runs in the team's second innings on day four, extending his poor record versus Australia.
In sixteen Ashes knocks, the Surrey man has failed to score a half-century and boasts an average of 17.62.
A solitary other English batsman since 1900 – Dennis Amiss – has played an equal number of innings in the top order in the Ashes and recorded a poorer average.
However, the opener said any suggestion Pope is being scrutinised comes from "the media" – meaning the press – "and not within the team."
"The squad is fully aware how good of a player he is," added Crawley. "He has had a productive year to be frank."
"He has played some really good knocks. This is talk externally. There is no chat of that nature regarding Pope in the camp," he finished.
