The English opener Crawley suggested he had no knowledge of comments from skipper Stokes regarding the team environment as no place for "those lacking fortitude".
The all-rounder made those words in multiple interviews in the wake of his team's defeat in the second match of the Ashes series against Australia earlier this month.
Ahead of the third Test, where the visitors now face a series loss with a match to spare, the captain noted he had let his sentiment to "drift around" within the playing group.
"I have completed all the talking in recent days that I required," said the England leader.
But, following Crawley made 85 on the penultimate day in Adelaide, he commented: "I missed those remarks."
"I wasn't actively searching for it. We take anything stated in the media with a pinch of salt," he added.
Raw Conversations and Steady Philosophy
The captain issued his "weak men" observation after England suffered a loss in Brisbane to fall two matches behind.
The team subsequently took a break to a Queensland resort between the second and third Tests.
Prior to this match, Stokes said his players had held "honest" conversations and he had asked them to "show a bit of dog" in their battle to stay alive in the Ashes battle.
Yet, the Kent batsman asserted the messaging from Stokes and coach Brendon McCullum had remained in line with their previous tenure in leadership.
"The atmosphere has been extremely upbeat, the same as always," said the opener. "It's on maintaining positivity, play our way, with lots of freedom. We believed we could do something special going into this game."
Australia On the Verge of Rapid Ashes Triumph
The opener's dismissal late on Saturday came during a crucial triple-strike by Australian off-spinner Nathan Lyon.
Lyon's triple strike in 20 deliveries – he also bowled Harry Brook and Stokes himself – meant England six down for 207 in pursuit of a notional target of 435.
Consequently, the home team require four wickets on the final day to secure an unassailable three-nil lead after three Tests.
A loss will extend the English team's winless run in Australia to 18 Tests and condemn them to a fourth successive overseas Ashes loss.
The current battle is set to be decided in only eleven days of cricket – with England losing the initial matches in rapid time each.
The last time 1921, when Australia completed victory in England in eight days, has the destination of the Ashes urn been decided more swiftly. The hosts have also won in eleven days on two other instances in the modern era.
"It's disappointing," said the batsman. "We came here to win the Ashes and now we are facing elimination at this point."
"There will still be plenty to play for and we will certainly approach it with that mindset," Crawley added.
"The challenge has been difficult. Australia is a very, very good side. It was inevitably tough coming here to face them. They entered as the front-runners and have demonstrated their quality."
Ollie Pope's Place In Question
Although the opener's innings in the third Test probably answers doubts about his short-term future in the side, Pope looks under threat for his position in the fourth Test starting December 26th.
The Surrey batsman fell for 17 in England's second innings on day four, adding to his modest returns against the old enemy.
In sixteen Ashes knocks, the Surrey man has failed to score a half-century and boasts an average of just 17.62.
Only one other English batsman since 1900 – Dennis Amiss – has featured an equal number of innings in the top six in Ashes Tests and returned a poorer average.
But, Crawley said any notion Pope is under the microscope comes from "you guys" – meaning the journalists – "and not within the team."
"We all know how good of a player he is," said Crawley. "He has had a good year to be frank."
"He has produced several excellent innings. It is noise externally. There is no discussion of that nature on Ollie amongst the players," Crawley concluded.
