The English opening batter Crawley suggested he was not familiar with comments made by captain Stokes regarding the team environment not being "weak men".
The all-rounder delivered those words in multiple conversations following England's defeat in the second Ashes series against Australia earlier this month.
In the lead-up to the third Test, where the visitors are staring at defeat at the earliest opportunity, Stokes noted he had allowed his sentiment to "drift around" among the squad.
"I've done all the talking over the past two days that I required," said the England leader.
However, after the opener scored 85 on the fourth day in the third Test, he commented: "I missed those remarks."
"I wasn't actively searching for it. Our approach is to take anything stated in the media with a pinch of salt," he added.
Frank Discussions and Consistent Messaging
The captain issued his "fragile individuals" observation after his side suffered a loss in the second Test to go 2-0 down.
The team subsequently took a holiday to Noosa between the second and the upcoming Tests.
Before this match, Stokes revealed his team had held "raw" talks and he had asked them to "display some fight" in their effort to stay alive in the Ashes battle.
Nevertheless, Crawley asserted the guidance from the captain and coach Brendon McCullum had stayed consistent with their prior tenure in charge.
"It's been very positive, unchanged," said Crawley. "The focus is on maintaining positivity, play our way, with lots of freedom. It felt like we could do an extraordinary feat entering this Test."
Australia On the Verge of Historic Ashes Triumph
The opener's wicket late on Saturday was part of a decisive triple-strike by Australia off-spinner Lyon.
Lyon's three wickets in 20 deliveries – he also bowled Harry Brook and Stokes himself – left England 207-6 chasing a daunting target of 435.
Consequently, the home team require just four more wickets on Sunday's final day to move to an unassailable three-nil advantage after three Tests.
Defeat would prolong England's drought in Australia to 18 consecutive matches and ensure a fourth successive overseas Ashes loss.
The current battle will be completed in just eleven days of cricket – with England losing the first two Tests in two and four days each.
Not since 1921, when Australia completed a series win in the UK in eight days, has the destination of the Ashes urn been determined so quickly. Australia have also won in eleven days on two other occasions in the 21st century.
"It's disheartening," said Crawley. "Our goal was to win the Ashes and we're facing elimination now."
"There will still be significant pride at stake and we'll certainly approach it like that," he continued.
"The challenge has been difficult. Australia is a formidable team. It was inevitably hard coming here against them. They entered as the front-runners and they've proven why."
Ollie Pope's Position In Question
While the opener's performance in the third Test probably answers doubts about his immediate place in the England team, Ollie Pope looks under threat for his position in the fourth Test on Boxing Day.
Pope was out for 17 in the team's second knock on day four, extending his modest returns against the old enemy.
Across 16 Ashes innings, the Surrey man has failed to score a fifty and boasts an average of just 17.62.
A solitary other English batsman since 1900 – Amiss – has featured an equal number of innings in the top order in Ashes Tests and returned a poorer average.
But, the opener said any notion Pope is under the microscope comes from "you guys" – meaning the press – "not inside the camp."
"The squad is fully aware of his considerable talent," added Crawley. "Ollie has enjoyed a productive year if I'm honest."
"He has produced some really good knocks. This is noise from the outside. There is no chat like that regarding Pope amongst the players," Crawley concluded.
