Nasser Hussain warns "lucky" Joe Root fight to remain England captain has only just begun

NICK HOWSON: With decision-makers Chris Silverwood and Ashley Giles having paid the price for the Ashes debacle, Hussain believes the skipper is fortunate to remain in place

Joe Root is far from secure as England Test skipper and is "lucky" to have survived losing the captaincy after the spate of sackings following the review into the Ashes humiliation in Australia.

Head coach Chris Silverwood, managing director Ashley Giles and batting lead Graham Thorpe were all let go this week in the wake of the 4-0 defeat.

Andrew Strauss has been installed as temporary managing director, with his first act being confirmation that Root will lead the team in the West Indies.

Hussain, who captained the red-ball team between 1999 and 2003, believes Root's connection with some of the mistakes made Down Under means he is fortunate to keep the job.

"Big mistakes were made in selection, reading of pitches, tosses, (no) Lions games in between, not getting your key players or players not in the side some time in the middle," he told Sky Sports.

"It's difficult to have the same management team go to the Caribbean when so many errors were made.

"I think he's a lucky boy. Because those decisions that were made, whether it be the toss at Brisbane, leaving out Broad and Anderson on a green top, not playing Broad on both pitches that did a bit, not playing Leach or Wood in Adelaide or bowling Stokes into the ground having bowled 17 overs in first-class cricket all summer in that enforcer role.

"That role takes more out of the body than anything else. You've got Wood at 140kph that can do that role.

^{Giles and Silverwood are among the high-profile casualties in the wake of the Ashes debacle (Gareth Copley/Getty Images)}

"Joe made some mistakes on that trip - a lot of mistakes.

"He said his captaincy would be defined by the Ashes trip and it was defined, they lost 4-0. 

"Having seen Giles go, someone he's worked with, having seen Silverwood go, someone he's worked with and made decisions with I personally would feel very uncomfortable in that way."

Strauss will firstly install an interim coach for the West Indies series - Alec Stewart is among the candidates, The Cricketer understands - before turning attention to Silverwood's permanent successor.

Despite seemingly being given a vote of confidence by Strauss, Root could yet be replaced by the new incumbent according to Hussain.

"I guess Strauss is buying himself some time," he added. "Say the next coach comes in and wants Root or the next director of cricket comes in and wants Root or wants someone completely different.

"Strauss is here on an interim basis, unfortunately, because he wants to stay with his boys and wants to be at home. 

"Strauss rarely makes bad decisions, he's a great man to have at this moment. Whoever takes over will have the final say on Joe Root's captaincy."