The English opener Crawley suggested he was not familiar with comments made by captain Stokes about the team environment not being "weak men".
Stokes delivered this message in multiple conversations in the wake of England's defeat in the second Ashes against Australia earlier this month.
In the lead-up to the third Test, where England are staring at a series loss with a match to spare, Stokes stated he had let his sentiment to "drift around" among the playing group.
"I've done the necessary discussions in recent days that I required," remarked Stokes.
However, after Crawley scored a knock of 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 anything stated in the press with some skepticism," he added.
Frank Discussions and Steady Philosophy
Stokes issued his "fragile individuals" observation subsequent to his side were beaten in the second Test to go 2-0 down.
The England squad subsequently went on a break to Noosa between the second and the upcoming Tests.
Before this match, Stokes revealed his players had held "raw" conversations and he had asked them to "display some fight" in their effort to remain alive in the series.
Nevertheless, the Kent batsman asserted the guidance from Stokes and coach McCullum had remained consistent with their prior tenure in charge.
"It's been extremely upbeat, unchanged," noted Crawley. "It's on maintaining positivity, playing our brand, with great liberty. It felt like we could do an extraordinary feat entering this Test."
The Hosts On the Verge of Historic Series Victory
Crawley's wicket late on Saturday was part of a decisive three-wicket burst by Australia off-spinner Nathan Lyon.
The spinner's three wickets in 20 deliveries – he also bowled Brook and Stokes himself – left the chasing side 207-6 in pursuit of a notional total of 435.
This means, Australia need just four more wickets on the final day to move to an insurmountable three-nil advantage after three Tests.
Defeat would prolong England's drought in this country to 18 consecutive matches and condemn them to a fourth straight away Ashes series defeat.
This series will be completed in only 11 days of cricket – after England fell the initial matches in two and four days respectively.
Not since 1921, when the Australians sealed a series win in England in eight days, has the outcome of the urn been decided more swiftly. Australia have also triumphed in 11 days on two other occasions in the 21st century.
"It's disappointing," said the batsman. "We came here to win the Ashes and now we are staring down the barrel now."
"There will still be significant pride at stake and we'll certainly approach it with that mindset," Crawley added.
"It's been difficult. They're a formidable side. It was inevitably hard coming here against them. They were the favourites coming in to it have demonstrated their quality."
Pope's Place In Question
While Crawley's innings in the third Test probably answers questions about his immediate future in the side, Pope appears under immense pressure for his spot in the Melbourne Test on Boxing Day.
The Surrey batsman was out for 17 runs in the team's second knock on Saturday, extending his modest returns versus Australia.
Across sixteen Ashes knocks, Pope has failed to score a half-century and boasts an average of just 17.62.
Only one other England player 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.
However, the opener insisted any notion Pope is being scrutinised originates with "the media" – meaning the journalists – "and not within the team."
"The squad is fully aware how good of a player he is," said he. "Ollie has enjoyed a good year if I'm honest."
"He has produced several excellent innings. It is talk externally. There is no discussion of that nature regarding Pope amongst the players," he concluded.
