Ashes 2013-14: Alastair Cook wants to remain England captain
Alastair Cook says he is determined to continue as England captain but admits his future is far from certain.
Cook has overseen a disastrous Ashes campaign, with England now one loss away from a 5-0 whitewash following an eight-wicket defeat in Melbourne.
"In a strange way, I'm enjoying the job and enjoying the challenge," he said.
"I'm totally responsible as captain for the team, and if at the end of the series the selectors decide I'm not the best man for the job then so be it."
Cook, 29, added: "It would hurt, and I've got no plans of going anywhere."
Cook made some puzzling tactical decisions as Australia cantered to their target of 231 on the fourth day, the highest successful fourth-innings score at this ground for over half a century.
He opted to remove his most threatening bowler, Stuart Broad, from the attack after just two overs, one of which had brought an edge, and then gave part-time spinner Joe Root a spell long before turning to his specialist Monty Panesar.
The reverse followed heavy defeats in Brisbane, Adelaide and Perth - and Cook admitted his leadership might be a significant part of the problem.
"Yes. It's something you do look at as captain and leader of the group," he said.
"(But) I feel as if we are doing the right things. If I didn't think we were doing the right things, we'd have changed the way we are approaching things - training and all that.
"I think we're preparing in the right way, but just not delivering it out there - or Australia aren't allowing us to."
Cook's most immediate task is to lift his team for the final Test, starting in Sydney on 3 January.
"I'm desperately trying to use as much of my experience of playing 100 Tests to help turn this team around," he said.
"I know that it starts with a lot of hard work and it starts with a performance or two that we jump on the back of.
"But if someone says there's a better man for the job, then I have to take that on the chin."
England came into this series unbeaten in 13 Tests and Australia without a win in nine.
But just four months after winning the corresponding series in England 3-0, Cook's battered team are now facing a second unwanted clean-sweep in three tours down under as their collapse becomes more comprehensive with every match.
But former captain Michael Vaughan does not believe Cook is solely responsible for a series of dismal displays.
"Many will blame the England captain but there are many, many more in that dressing room who have got to have a look at themselves," he said on Test Match Special.
"You can't blame one man but there is more than one man who needs to turn this round. I wouldn't even say they are playing at 50%."
Cook has also had to deal with serious issues outside his control - the early departure of Jonathan Trott with a stress-related illness, the poor form and subsequent dropping of vice-captain Matt Prior and the shock retirement of key bowler Graeme Swann.
But Cook said: "We can't use anything that has happened as an excuse.
"We tried to get the ball reversing, we wanted to bowl the seamers with the harder ball. That is why Panesar was held off for a little while.
"I'm sure others would have done it differently, but if we knew the answers we'd be doing it.
"Eventually it will turn because there are some very good players in that dressing room. You can come to any of our training sessions and see how hard we're working."
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