Matthew Mott insisted that he is "more determined than ever" to coach England's white-ball teams after their group-stage elimination from the ODI World Cup, and said that he expects to be in charge when they tour the Caribbean next month to play West Indies.
Mott is 18 months into a four-year contract and oversaw England's title-winning T20 World Cup campaign in Australia last year. But England's disastrous defence of their 50-over title prompted some speculation about his future in the role, not least after six defeats in their first seven matches jeopardised their place at the 2025 Champions Trophy.
They confirmed their qualification with convincing victories over Netherlands and Pakistan, but a seventh-place finish was still a significant underachievement. "We're incredibly disappointed," Mott said after England wrapped up a 93-run win in Kolkata on Saturday night. "We came here with certain expectations and haven't delivered on that."
Rob Key, England's managing director and Mott's boss, arrived back in India midweek and while Mott did not seek direct assurances over his position, he has been involved in selection for December's tour. England will play three ODIs and five T20Is against West Indies, with Mott and Jos Buttler set to continue as coach and captain.
"I haven't even spoken about it," Mott said, regarding his future as coach. "It hasn't been a great tournament for everyone, but there's plenty of teams which are going to go [away] from here very disappointed with their performance as well. There's only one team that can win it. I'm pretty comfortable in my skin."
When asked if he expects to carry on, Mott told the BBC: "Absolutely, I do. We've had a poor tournament, but we've got a lot to look forward to. We've got a lot of belief within this squad that we can turn this around and we'll look forward to the West Indies… if anything, I'm more determined than ever."
Mott admitted that he had learned plenty about himself as a coach at the World Cup but did not elaborate further, saying there were "enough strong opinions" from the English press already. "That's for you guys to work out," he said. "I'm sure there's enough public comment out there for you to be able to pick that up and make your own decisions."
On Buttler, Mott said: "He's got a great future. You judge leadership in times that are tough and he's continually tried to motivate the boys. He's clearly disappointed with his own contribution but none of that has affected the way he's led the team. I've been really impressed by the way he's kept the team together. He's a player who is immensely talented and will bounce back."
England's players and management have repeatedly downplayed any suggestion of a rift in the touring party over the past two weeks, and Mott said that winning their final two games highlighted the squad's "tenacity and resilience". He added: "I just can't be prouder of the whole group - staff and players - to find a way of finishing with something to build on."
Their performances have improved significantly in the final week of the World Cup, with a narrow defeat against Australia preceding their consolation wins. England only arrived in India a week before their opening game against New Zealand and packed their preparation into a one-month window at the end of their home summer.
"I have no doubt that if we had time to come out here with the schedule, that we would have [performed better]," Mott said. "That's the ideal preparation. But I'm not sure how that's possible… we play the cards we're dealt. We don't make the schedules, and it's certainly not an excuse. We could definitely have started the tournament a bit better, but we can't change that now."