London: Many England fans are losing patience with the team's failure to win any of their last 10 matches, while Cook is under merciless scrutiny after an miserable run of 27 Test innings without a century.
But still Alastair Cook was spared the axe as England cricket captain on Tuesday as the selectors reacted to their worst sequence of results for more than two decades by including only one new name in their squad for the third Test against India.
Yet the only response to Monday's 95-run defeat at Lord's — India's first Test win away from home for more than three years — has been to draft in wicketkeeper Jos Buttler for the injured Matt Prior while Lancashire left-arm spinner Simon Kerrigan has been left out of the 13-man squad for the game starting at the Ageas Bowl in Southampton on Sunday.
According to Dailymail Monday's selection meeting lasted several hours, leading to speculation that Cook would be asked to step down after presiding over England's seventh defeat in nine Tests. A source said that the captain's future was not discussed, with the ECB desperate for him to succeed after backing him strongly following the Ashes debacle.
Head coach Peter Moores insisted: ‘Cooky carries an enormous amount of respect in that dressing-room —not only as a player, because his record goes before him, but also as a man.
‘I think that stands him in good stead. He's determined to build that team. My job is to support him and do that with him.
The Lord's setback, featuring the loss of six wickets for 50 runs to Ishant Sharma just when it seemed England might have a chance of pulling off their second-highest all-time run chase, has left English cricket at its lowest ebb.
It is understood discussion also focused on the fitness of Stuart Broad, who is privately concerned about his chances of getting through the five-Test series against India with his troublesome knee injury.
He and Ben Stokes, who has bowled well but lost all confidence with the bat, could be replaced in the team for Southampton by Chris Jordan and Chris Woakes.
Stokes' horror run with the bat has seen him record three ducks in his last three Test innings.
Meanwhile, Jimmy Anderson will learn on Friday, August 1 — the day after the third Test is due to finish — whether he faces any punishment following his altercation in the Trent Bridge pavilion with Indian all-rounder Ravindra Jadeja.
Jadeja, who himself faces a Level Two charge for his alleged part in the fracas, could have his case heard by ICC match referee David Boon as early as tomorrow, though England are unhappy that both cases will not be heard at the same time.
The ECB would have 14 days to appeal any ban, but would have to do so before the fourth Test, which starts in Manchester on August 7, to prevent their attack leader from missing the last two games of the series.
