Opener Alastair Cook has the desire to keep playing for England but is aware that he must continue scoring runs to hold on to his spot, the former captain has said.
The 33-year-old, who made his England debut in 2006, has scored more than 12,000 test runs at an average of 45.73 but his inconsistent spell during the recent tour of Australia and New Zealand have raised questions about his longevity.
Cook scored a total of 23 runs in the two-test series against New Zealand last month as England continued their winless run following their 4-0 defeat in the Ashes.
“My job never changes,” Cook told reporters. “It’s to score runs at the top of the order. If someone taps me on the shoulder and tells me they don’t want me to open for England, it is going to hurt at this precise moment because I want to carry on.
“The hunger and desire is still there but no one has a God-given right to play for England. You have to score the runs to justify your place. Since I’ve come home I’ve started to look at my preparation.
“Have I got it right? Do I need to change things? Because that’s the right way to do it. I will never sit here and say I’ve cracked the game or will ever be perfect.”
Cook was set to play for first-class county side Essex against Hampshire on Friday in the domestic championship as he fights to make his mark and earn a call-up for England’s two-match home Test series against Pakistan in May.
Cook has also revealed England’s players were “curious” about Australia potentially engaging in ball-tampering during the recent Ashes series.
Steve Smith, David Warner and Cameron Bancroft were hit with long suspensions by Cricket Australia after they plotted to use sandpaper on the ball in their third Test with South Africa last month.
The shamed trio claimed that was their first instance of ball-tampering. But the spotlight has now been put on the Ashes, with television footage since emerging of Bancroft putting sugar in his pocket.
Australia’s consistent ability to get reverse swing had England’s bowlers scratching their heads during their 4-0 series defeat. Cook was part of the England side and he admitted on Tuesday that there were questions among his squad about the third Test in Perth.
Asked at a Chance to Shine event in Tunbridge Wells whether England suspected Australia of ball-tampering during the Ashes, he said: “Yes a little bit, certainly in Perth when the outfield was wet with rain they got the ball reversing.

Gower fears 100-ball cricket plan is ‘12 years out of date’
 Former England Test captain David Gower has welcomed plans for a new 100-ball format but says it is “12 years out of date”, with the Indian Premier League now setting the pace. The 61-year-old, who scored 8,231 Test runs before moving into TV work, believes the England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB) may have missed a trick by not acting sooner. “In many ways you could say that this new competition is going to be 12 years out of date before it starts,” said Gower, speaking at the launch of a Lord’s property investment project in London. “The ECB had the opportunity to be at the forefront of Twenty20. This new competition could have started and been competing with the IPL from the outset. “But for various reasons, which you have to respect, it’s taken this long to get under way.” 
The proposed eight-team city-based competition, due to start in 2020, has had mixed reviews. England captain Joe Root said it could attract a new audience to Test cricket but his predecessor as skipper, Alastair Cook, believes Tests need to be protected. Gower believes there is room for both long and short formats, and suggested simply adding another T20 tournament to the schedule would have been the wrong move. “I agree with Alastair that Test cricket is important and there are people like him who have made their reputations almost entirely in Test match cricket,” Gower said.
“But the game has changed dramatically in the last 20 years, even more in the last 10 years. 
T20 has gained traction and the IPL is one of the biggest sporting events in the world currently.
“The idea of making this (competition) different has validity, because another T20 competition added to the world’s crowded schedule, and the English summer’s crowded schedule, would have been just that. “The shorter the game, the likelihood is you’ll have close games, so it will be interesting.”