All-rounder Ben Stokes said he has no ambition to be a captain and backed Joe Root to remain in the England role despite calls for the Yorkshireman to stand down as a result of their disastrous Ashes tour of Australia.

“I’ve never really had an ambition to be a captain,” Stokes said. “Captaincy is more than about setting fields, picking the team, making decisions out there in the middle. A captain is someone you want to go out and play for. Joe Root is someone I always want to play for.”

England great Geoffrey Boycott was among those to call on Root to step down, while coach Chris Silverwood has also been heavily criticised. However, Stokes said the team paid no attention to the media “hype” about their futures.

“The most important people’s opinions are those guys in the dressing room and they’ve got our thorough support,” he said.