The English opener Crawley suggested he was not familiar with statements from captain Stokes regarding the dressing room as no place for "those lacking fortitude".
The all-rounder delivered this message in several interviews in the wake of his team's defeat in the second match of the Ashes against Australia 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, the captain stated he had allowed his message to "circulate freely" among the squad.
"I have completed all the talking over the past two days that I needed to have done," remarked Stokes.
However, after the opener made 85 on the penultimate day in Adelaide, he stated: "I missed those remarks."
"I wasn't actively searching for it. Our approach is to take anything stated in the media with a pinch of salt," Crawley continued.
Frank Discussions and Steady Philosophy
The captain issued his "weak men" observation subsequent to England were beaten in Brisbane to fall 2-0 down.
The England squad afterwards took a break to Noosa in the gap between the second and third Tests.
Before this match, he said his players had held "honest" talks and he had asked them to "show a bit of dog" in their battle to remain alive in the Ashes battle.
Yet, Crawley stated the guidance from Stokes and coach McCullum had remained in line with their prior three years in leadership.
"It's been very positive, unchanged," noted Crawley. "The focus is just trying to be optimistic, play our way, with lots of freedom. It felt like we were capable of something special going into this game."
Australia Close of Rapid Series Victory
The opener's wicket on day four came during a decisive triple-strike by Australian spinner Nathan Lyon.
The spinner's three wickets in 20 deliveries – he also bowled Brook and Ben Stokes – meant the chasing side 207-6 in pursuit of a notional target of 435.
Consequently, Australia need four wickets on the final day to secure an insurmountable 3-0 lead with three matches played.
Defeat would prolong England's drought in Australia to 18 Tests and condemn them to a fourth straight away Ashes series defeat.
The current battle is set to be decided in just 11 days of cricket – after England losing the initial matches in rapid time each.
Not since 1921, when the Australians completed a series win in the UK in eight days, has the destination of the urn been determined more swiftly. The hosts have also won in eleven days on two other occasions in the 21st century.
"It's disheartening," said Crawley. "Our goal was 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 with that mindset," he continued.
"It's been difficult. They're a very, very good team. It was inevitably hard coming here to face them. They entered as the favourites and they've proven why."
Ollie Pope's Place Under Scrutiny
While Crawley's performance in Adelaide probably answers doubts about his short-term future in the side, Ollie Pope looks under threat for his position in the fourth Test starting December 26th.
The Surrey batsman was out for 17 runs in the team's second innings on Saturday, adding to his modest returns against Australia.
Across 16 Ashes innings, Pope has never made a half-century and averages just 17.62.
Only one other English batsman since 1900 – Amiss – has played an equal number of innings in the top six in the Ashes and recorded a lower average.
But, Crawley said any suggestion his teammate is being scrutinised originates with "the media" – meaning the press – "and not within the team."
"We all know of his considerable talent," said he. "He has had a good year to be frank."
"He has played several excellent innings. It is noise externally. There's no discussion of that nature on Ollie amongst the players," Crawley finished.
