Chris Silverwood, England's embattled head coach, has said that he wants to remain in his post despite overseeing a humbling Ashes defeat in Australia and will begin planning for March's Test tour of the Caribbean "until I'm told differently".
In the wake of their 4-0 hammering, Silverwood is one of a number of England decision-makers whose positions have come in for scrutiny. Joe Root, the Test captain, has also stated his desire to continue, while Ashley Giles, the managing director who is charged with writing the report on England's latest Ashes debacle, spoke of the need for "systemic change".
With less than six weeks before England set off again for three Tests in the West Indies, it is unclear whether the ECB will look to make quick decisions on the future of coach and captain or wait to fully assess the fall-out from events in Australia.
"I accept the job I'm it comes with that level of criticism and the uncertainty as well," Silverwood told reporters in Hobart. "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."
Much of the debate about England's batting inadequacies in Australia - where they failed to reach 300 in ten innings, and were dismissed for fewer than 200 on six occasions - has centred on the structure of the domestic game, with Root suggesting that county cricket isn't preparing players sufficiently for the step-up to Tests.
"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," Silverwood said. "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, who has previously received Root's backing, admitted that he might be required to take a more hard-line approach if he were to hold on to his job. There have been reports of players unhappy with the levels of planning and communication from the team management in Australia, as well as suggestions of a drinking culture among the group.
"I'm not scared of showing my teeth," said Silverwood. "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?"
Life in Covid bubbles has not helped on tour, with England's Ashes assignment following on immediately from a T20 World Cup campaign. When asked about the final, dismal collapse in Hobart that saw England lose all 10 wickets for the addition of just 56 runs, Silverwood said fatigue was at play.
"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."