The English opening batter Crawley suggested he had no knowledge of statements from skipper Stokes regarding the team environment as no place for "those lacking fortitude".
Stokes delivered this message in several interviews following England's defeat in the second match of the Ashes against Australia earlier this month.
Ahead of the Adelaide Test, where the visitors are staring at defeat at the earliest opportunity, the captain noted he had allowed his sentiment to "circulate freely" within the playing group.
"I've done all the talking in recent days that I needed to have done," remarked Stokes.
However, following the opener made 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. Our approach is to take everything that is said in the press with a pinch of salt," he added.
Frank Discussions and Consistent Messaging
The captain made the "fragile individuals" observation after England were beaten in Brisbane to go two matches behind.
The England squad afterwards went on a holiday to Noosa in the gap between the second and third matches.
Before the Adelaide contest, Stokes revealed his players had held "honest" conversations and he had asked them to "show a bit of dog" in their effort to remain in contention in the Ashes battle.
Nevertheless, the Kent batsman stated the messaging from Stokes and coach Brendon McCullum had stayed in line with their prior tenure in leadership.
"It's been very positive, the same as always," said Crawley. "The focus is just trying to be optimistic, play our way, with great liberty. We believed we could do an extraordinary feat going into this game."
The Hosts Close of Rapid Series Victory
The opener's dismissal late on Saturday was part of a crucial triple-strike by Australian off-spinner Lyon.
Lyon's triple strike in a short spell – including the wickets of Brook and Stokes himself – meant the chasing side six down for 207 in pursuit of a notional target of 435 runs.
Consequently, Australia need just four more wickets on Sunday's last day to move to an unassailable 3-0 advantage after three matches played.
Defeat would prolong the English team's winless run in this country to 18 consecutive matches and ensure a fourth straight overseas Ashes series defeat.
This series will be completed in just 11 days of cricket – with England losing the initial matches 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 Ashes urn been decided more swiftly. The hosts have also won in eleven days on two other occasions in the 21st century.
"This is disappointing," admitted Crawley. "Our goal was to regain the Ashes and now we are facing elimination at this point."
"There remains plenty to play for and we will definitely view it like that," he continued.
"It's been tough. They're a formidable side. It was inevitably hard coming here against them. They entered as the front-runners coming in to it they've proven why."
Pope's Place Under Scrutiny
Although Crawley's performance in Adelaide likely secures doubts about his immediate future in the side, Ollie Pope looks under threat for his position in the Melbourne Test starting December 26th.
Pope was out for 17 in England's second knock on day four, extending his modest returns against the old enemy.
Across sixteen Ashes knocks, Pope has failed to score a half-century and averages just 17.62.
Only one other England player since 1900 – Amiss – has played an equal number of innings in the top six in the Ashes and recorded a poorer average.
However, the opener insisted 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," said he. "He has had a productive year if I'm honest."
"He has played some really good knocks. It is talk from the outside. There's no chat like that on Ollie amongst the players," Crawley concluded.
