The English opener Crawley suggested he was not familiar with comments from captain Stokes about the dressing room not being "those lacking fortitude".
The all-rounder made those words in multiple interviews in the wake of his team's defeat in the second Ashes against Australia earlier this month.
Ahead of the Adelaide Test, where England are staring at defeat with a match to spare, the captain stated he had let his message to "circulate freely" within the playing group.
"I've done all the talking over the past two days that I required," said the England leader.
However, following the opener made 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. Our approach is to take everything that is said in the press with some skepticism," he added.
Frank Discussions and Steady Philosophy
Stokes issued his "weak men" comment after his side were beaten in the second Test to fall 2-0 down.
The team afterwards took a break to Noosa between the second and the upcoming Tests.
Before the Adelaide contest, Stokes said his players had held "raw" conversations and he had urged them to "show a bit of dog" in their effort to remain alive in the series.
Nevertheless, the Kent batsman stated the guidance from Stokes and coach McCullum had stayed in line with their previous three years in leadership.
"It's been extremely upbeat, the same as always," said the opener. "The focus is on maintaining positivity, playing our brand, with great liberty. We believed we were capable of something special entering this Test."
The Hosts Close of Historic Ashes Triumph
The opener's wicket late on Saturday was part of a decisive triple-strike by Australian off-spinner Lyon.
The spinner's three wickets in 20 deliveries – he also bowled Brook and Stokes himself – left England six down for 207 in pursuit of a daunting target of 435.
Consequently, the home team need just four more wickets on Sunday's last day to secure an unassailable 3-0 lead after three Tests.
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 is set to be decided in just eleven days of play – with England fell the initial matches in rapid time respectively.
The last time 1921, when Australia completed a series win in the UK in eight days, has the destination of the Ashes urn been determined so quickly. The hosts have also triumphed in 11 days on two other instances in the modern era.
"It's disheartening," admitted the batsman. "Our goal was to regain the Ashes and we're staring down the barrel at this point."
"There will still be plenty to play for and we'll certainly approach it with that mindset," he continued.
"The challenge has been difficult. Australia is a very, very good team. It was inevitably hard touring here to face them. They were the front-runners and have demonstrated their quality."
Ollie Pope's Place Under Scrutiny
Although the opener's innings in Adelaide probably answers doubts about his immediate place in the side, Ollie Pope appears under immense pressure for his position in the fourth Test starting December 26th.
The Surrey batsman fell for 17 runs in the team's second knock on day four, extending his modest returns versus the old enemy.
In 16 Ashes innings, Pope has failed to score a half-century and boasts an average of 17.62.
Only one other English batsman in over a century – Dennis Amiss – has played an equal number of innings in the top six in the Ashes and recorded a poorer average.
But, the opener said any notion his teammate is under the microscope originates with "you guys" – meaning the press – "and not within the team."
"We all know of his considerable talent," said he. "He has had a productive year to be frank."
"He has played some really good knocks. It is talk externally. There's no discussion of that nature on Ollie in the camp," Crawley finished.
