The English opening batter Crawley suggested he had no knowledge of comments from skipper Stokes regarding the team environment as no place for "those lacking fortitude".
The all-rounder delivered this message in multiple interviews in the wake of his team's loss in the second match of the Ashes series against the Australians previously.
Ahead of the Adelaide Test, where the visitors are staring at a series loss at the earliest opportunity, the captain stated he had let his message to "drift around" among the playing group.
"I've done all the talking over the past two days that I needed to have done," remarked Stokes.
However, after Crawley made 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 everything that is said in the press with a pinch of salt," Crawley continued.
Raw Conversations and Steady Philosophy
Stokes issued his "weak men" observation subsequent to England suffered a loss in Brisbane to fall 2-0 down.
The England squad afterwards went on a holiday to Noosa between the second and the upcoming matches.
Before this match, he said his players had held "raw" conversations and he had urged them to "display some fight" in their battle to stay alive in the Ashes battle.
Nevertheless, Crawley stated the messaging from Stokes and coach Brendon McCullum had stayed consistent with their prior three years in leadership.
"The atmosphere has been extremely upbeat, the same as always," noted Crawley. "The focus is just trying to be optimistic, play our way, with lots of freedom. We believed we could do an extraordinary feat entering this Test."
Australia On the Verge of Rapid Series Victory
Crawley's wicket late on Saturday was part of a decisive triple-strike by Australia spinner Lyon.
Lyon's three wickets in 20 deliveries – he also bowled Harry Brook and Stokes himself – left England six down for 207 chasing a notional target of 435 runs.
Consequently, Australia require just four more wickets on Sunday's final day to move to an unassailable 3-0 lead with three Tests.
A loss will extend England's drought in Australia to 18 Tests and ensure a fourth successive away Ashes series defeat.
The current battle will be completed in only 11 days of play – after England fell the initial matches in two and four days respectively.
The last time 1921, when Australia completed a series win in the UK in eight days, has the destination of the urn been decided more swiftly. The hosts have also triumphed in 11 days on two other occasions in the 21st century.
"It's disheartening," admitted the batsman. "Our goal was to win the Ashes and now we are facing elimination at this point."
"There remains plenty to play for and we'll definitely view it like that," Crawley added.
"The challenge has been difficult. Australia is a very, very good team. It was always going to be tough coming here to face them. They were the front-runners and have demonstrated their quality."
Pope's Position Under Scrutiny
While the opener's performance in the third Test likely secures questions about his immediate future in the side, Pope appears under threat for his position in the Melbourne Test on Boxing Day.
Pope fell for 17 in the team's second innings on Saturday, extending his modest returns versus Australia.
In sixteen Ashes knocks, Pope has never made a half-century and averages just 17.62.
Only one other England player since 1900 – Dennis Amiss – has featured as many times in the top order in Ashes Tests and returned a lower average.
But, Crawley insisted any suggestion his teammate is under the microscope comes from "the media" – meaning the press – "and not within the team."
"We all know of his considerable talent," said Crawley. "Ollie has enjoyed a good year to be frank."
"He has played some really good knocks. This is noise externally. There's no discussion of that nature on Ollie in the camp," Crawley finished.
