England opener Crawley suggested he had no knowledge of statements made by skipper Stokes regarding the dressing room as no place for "those lacking fortitude".
Stokes delivered those words in multiple conversations following England'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 now face defeat at the earliest opportunity, the captain noted he had let his sentiment to "circulate freely" within the playing group.
"I have completed all the talking over the past two days that I required," remarked the England leader.
But, after Crawley made a knock of 85 on the penultimate day in the third Test, he commented: "I missed those remarks."
"I didn't see and wasn't really looking out for it. We take everything that is said in the media with some skepticism," Crawley continued.
Raw Conversations and Steady Philosophy
The captain made the "weak men" observation after his side were beaten in Brisbane to fall 2-0 down.
The team afterwards went on a holiday to Noosa between the second and third matches.
Prior to this match, Stokes said his team had held "raw" talks and he had asked them to "display some fight" in their battle to remain alive in the series.
Nevertheless, Crawley asserted the messaging from the captain and head coach Brendon McCullum had stayed in line with their previous three years in charge.
"It's been extremely upbeat, unchanged," noted Crawley. "It's on maintaining positivity, playing our brand, with lots of freedom. It felt like we were capable of an extraordinary feat going into this game."
Australia On the Verge of Rapid Series Victory
The opener's dismissal late on Saturday was part of a decisive triple-strike by Australia spinner Lyon.
The spinner's triple strike in a short spell – including the wickets of Harry Brook and Stokes himself – left England six down for 207 in pursuit of a daunting target of 435.
Consequently, the home team require just four more wickets on Sunday's final day to secure an insurmountable three-nil advantage after three matches played.
A loss would prolong England's drought in this country to 18 consecutive matches and condemn them to a fourth straight away Ashes series defeat.
The current battle will be completed in only 11 days of cricket – with England losing the initial matches in rapid time each.
The last time 1921, when Australia sealed victory in the UK in eight days, has the outcome of the urn been determined more swiftly. Australia have also triumphed in 11 days on two other instances in the 21st century.
"It's disheartening," said Crawley. "Our goal was to regain the Ashes and now we are facing elimination now."
"There will still be significant pride at stake and we'll certainly approach it like that," Crawley added.
"It's been tough. They're a formidable team. It was always going to be hard coming here to face them. They were the front-runners coming in to it they've proven why."
Pope's Position Under Scrutiny
Although Crawley's innings in Adelaide likely secures doubts about his short-term future in the side, Pope appears under threat for his spot in the fourth Test on Boxing Day.
Pope fell for 17 in England's second knock on day four, extending his poor record versus the old enemy.
Across sixteen Ashes knocks, Pope has never made a half-century and averages just 17.62.
A solitary other English batsman in over a century – Dennis Amiss – has featured an equal number of innings in the top six in Ashes Tests and recorded a lower average.
However, Crawley said any suggestion Pope is under the microscope originates with "the media" – meaning the journalists – "not inside the camp."
"The squad is fully aware how good of a player he is," said Crawley. "Ollie has enjoyed a good year if I'm honest."
"He has produced several excellent innings. It is noise from the outside. There is no chat of that nature on Ollie in the camp," Crawley concluded.
