Root eyes fresh start as Anderson hits out at axe

England captain Joe Root says it's time for a fresh start after England's Ashes debacle and says he is grateful to remain as skipper tasked with taking the team forward.

Root's hold on the captaincy survived following a 4-0 drubbing in Australia while director of cricket Ashley Giles, head coach Chris Silverwood and batting coach Graham Thorpe were sacked in the series aftermath.

"Clearly, it was a disappointing tour and we massively underperformed," Root told reporters on Wednesday as he looked forward to their West Indies tour.

"I think off the back of it, we have to use this opportunity for a fresh start. As Straussy's (interim director Andrew Strauss) mentioned, a bit of a reset... I'm very grateful that I've got the opportunity to do that as captain.

"I know there's a lot of hard work ahead, and I'm very much looking forward to that challenge. And that starts on this tour first. It's a real opportunity that we've got to take with both hands."

England travel to the Caribbean for a three-Test series that gets underway in Antigua on March 8.

Selectors have made wholesale changes for the series, with veteran fast bowling duo James Anderson and Stuart Broad the most notable omissions.

Broad has been an outspoken critic of the decision and the way it was handled, while Anderson admits he's "praying" his record-breaking England career isn't over.

The decision, made by a selection panel headed up by Strauss, bemused many and Broad revealed in his newspaper column that he struggled to sleep in the days afterwards.

But Anderson, who like Broad hit out at having just a short telephone conversation with Strauss explaining his exclusion from the tour, insisted he had given no thought of retirement despite turning 40 this July.

"It's been a weird couple of weeks," Anderson said on the BBC Tailenders podcast.

"I've just been trying to process what's gone on. Obviously, it was a bit of a shock and a disappointment to get that call to say I am not going.

"There's been quite a few texts between myself and Broady in particular, getting some initial frustration and anger out but I think once that was gone, it's really now trying to look to stuff we can affect.

"I still feel like I've got the hunger and passion to play. I feel in great shape, I just want to keep bowling.

"I'm praying this isn't the end but if I never play for England again, I know I've got amazing people around me to support me. I've now got to try to focus on stuff that I can control and that's playing cricket."

Anderson's average of 23.37 in this winter's Ashes was the lowest of all England's bowlers and while he has amassed 640 wickets at 26.58 in a Test career approaching 19 years, Anderson pointed out he is getting better with age.

Indeed, in the 44 Tests since his 35th birthday Anderson has taken 160 wickets at 21.72.

"I think another frustration for me over the last couple of weeks is a five-minute phone call doesn't really clear much up for you," Anderson added, referring to his chat with Strauss earlier this month.

"I do still feel like I've got a lot to offer. Since I've turned 35, my records got even better so I know that I'm not slowing down, I'm not losing anything.

"I've got one more go at digging deep, I've dug deep quite a lot over the last 20 years but I still love playing the game, I still loved bowling out in Australia even though the results didn't go our way."

Root, however, insisted, that it wasn't the end of the road for the pair who have more than 1,100 Test wickets between them.

"I've spoken both to Stuart and Jimmy... they're obviously disappointed, angry... at no point, no-one is saying this is the end for them," said the 31-year-old Root.

"If we're in a position where they can come back into this team, then great, that's only going to strengthen things. So a lot can happen between now and then."