Want to carry on but there are decisions above that will be made: Silverwood

Joe Root and Co. were hammered 0-4 in the recently concluded Ashes series but Chris Silverwood wants to continue as England’s head coach. England have lost 10 of their last 14 Tests and have managed to win only one encounter. Silverwood’s fate now depends on the post-series report which will be made by team managing director Ashley Giles, with some assistance from ECB chief executive Tom Harrison and other members of the performance cricket committee, chaired by Andrew Strauss.

"I accept the job I'm it comes with that level of criticism and the uncertainty as well. Until I'm told differently I'll start planning for the West Indies. I want to carry on but there are decisions above that will be made. My job is going to be under scrutiny. There will be a review when we get home and part and parcel of that will be my job," Silverwood told reporters in Hobart.

England failed to touch the 300-run mark even once in the Ashes series. In fact, they were dismissed for less than 200 on six occasions. They are scheduled to play three Tests in West Indies in March and Silverwood thinks he is still the right man for the job, but also admitted that England need to make some changes to their county structure.

"I think given some changes that I think we need within the county structures, I would love to help affect those changes, and I would like to put some of this right. I think I can do that. I think I'm a good coach and I would love to be given that opportunity but it's out of my hands at the moment. We've reflected about the players, but there will be certain aspects I've got to reflect on, because I'm not a finished article as a coach and I want to get better all the time."

Silverwood also admitted that sometimes he might have to act like a ‘bad cop’ to get the job done. "I'm not scared of showing my teeth. Especially with the situation we've been living in, I try to work through things with them, rather than shout at them or growl at them. I have growled at them a couple of times on this trip. I'm not afraid to show my teeth, but you sometimes wonder in hindsight whether I should do it more. But then does it make it less effective?"

The visitors lost 10 wickets in the space of 56 runs in Hobart and failed to chase down a target of 271 in the fifth and final Test. However, Silverwood put the surrender down to tiredness. "I think what we saw was players that are tired," he said.

"Having lived what we've already spoken about there (time in bubbles), we saw the result of that. You know what, it was hard to watch. At times you were thinking, just get stuck in, let's show that fight, but we didn't have that. And there was no point saying we did, because we clearly didn't. We've got to get to the bottom of why that is, and try to make a difference. That's one of the things we've got to try to look at in the debrief."