The Ashes: Joe Root wants Chris Silverwood to remain as head coach

Silverwood, left, has been in charge since October 2019

England captain Joe Root wants Chris Silverwood to remain as head coach despite the Ashes defeat in Australia this winter.

Silverwood is back with the squad after missing the drawn fourth Test in Sydney because of Covid-19.

Asked if he would like Silverwood, 46, to remain in charge, Root said: "Yes, I would."

He added: "It was a difficult week for the group of players with him not being around.

"But the performances we put in during the first three games, I feel we've let him and the coaches down to a degree. We've not played anywhere near the level we're capable of."

England suffered nine Test defeats in 2021, including some heavy losses in a one-sided Ashes series.

They travel to face West Indies for a three-Test series in March before hosting New Zealand, India and South Africa in the English summer.

Silverwood has been in his role since October 2019, but has had to shuffle his resources because of Covid bubbles, player welfare and injuries.

"He's very calm, he has the respect of the guys and he's got a desperation to see everyone do well or up-skill the players as best he can," Root said

"He's had a very difficult time of it with the environments we've been living in, trying to manage winning matches with bubble environments away from home, and multi-format players trying to prepare for an Ashes and a World Cup.

"For a long time we've not been able to put our best teams out because we've been constantly trying to make sure from a mental wellbeing point of view everyone is looked after properly, because of the schedule we've dealt with over two years."

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