The English opening batter Crawley suggested he had no knowledge of comments made by skipper Stokes regarding the dressing room as no place for "weak men".
The all-rounder made those words in several conversations in the wake of his team's defeat in the second match of the Ashes series versus the Australians previously.
Ahead of the Adelaide Test, where the visitors now face a series loss with a match to spare, Stokes stated he had let his sentiment to "circulate freely" among the playing group.
"I have completed the necessary discussions in recent days that I needed to have done," remarked Stokes.
But, following the opener scored 85 on the fourth day in Adelaide, he commented: "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," Crawley continued.
Frank Discussions and Consistent Messaging
Stokes issued his "fragile individuals" comment after his side suffered a loss in the second Test to fall two matches behind.
The team afterwards went on a break to Noosa in the gap between the second and third Tests.
Before this match, he revealed his team had held "honest" conversations and he had urged them to "display some fight" in their battle to stay in contention in the Ashes battle.
Nevertheless, the Kent batsman asserted the messaging from Stokes and coach Brendon McCullum had stayed in line with their previous three years in leadership.
"The atmosphere has been extremely upbeat, the same as always," said Crawley. "The focus is just trying to be optimistic, playing our brand, with lots of freedom. It felt like we could do something special entering this Test."
Australia On the Verge of Historic Series Victory
The opener's wicket on day four was part of a decisive triple-strike by Australian spinner Nathan Lyon.
The spinner's three wickets in a short spell – he also bowled Harry Brook and Stokes himself – left England 207-6 chasing a notional total of 435 runs.
Consequently, the home team need four wickets on the last day to secure an insurmountable three-nil advantage after three matches played.
Defeat would prolong the English team's winless run in Australia to 18 Tests and ensure a fourth successive away Ashes defeat.
This series will be completed in only eleven days of cricket – with England losing the first two Tests in two and four days each.
Not since 1921, when Australia sealed victory in England in eight days, has the outcome of the Ashes urn been decided more swiftly. The hosts have also triumphed in eleven days on two other occasions in the 21st century.
"It's disheartening," admitted the batsman. "Our goal was to regain the Ashes and now we are staring down the barrel at this point."
"There will still be plenty to play for and we will definitely view it with that mindset," Crawley added.
"It's been tough. They're a very, very good side. It was inevitably tough touring here to face them. They entered as the front-runners and they've proven why."
Pope's Position Under Scrutiny
Although the opener's innings in the third Test probably answers questions about his immediate future in the England team, Pope looks under threat for his position in the fourth Test on Boxing Day.
Pope fell for 17 in England's second knock on Saturday, adding to his poor record against Australia.
Across sixteen Ashes knocks, Pope has never made a fifty and boasts an average of just 17.62.
Only one other England player since 1900 – Dennis Amiss – has played as many times in the top six in Ashes Tests and recorded a poorer average.
However, Crawley insisted any notion Pope is being scrutinised comes from "you guys" – meaning the journalists – "not inside the camp."
"The squad is fully aware of his considerable talent," said Crawley. "He has had a productive year to be frank."
"He has played some really good knocks. It is noise from the outside. There is no chat of that nature regarding Pope in the camp," Crawley concluded.
