Speaking ahead of the second Test at Headingley, Cook said: “If you want to play cricket for England, you’ve got to deliver, otherwise we’ll be looking for other employment. That’s the nature of the beast and, fundamentally, we’re not producing out in the middle.”

The match will be Cook’s 154th consecutive Test, an achievement which sees him break a record set by Allan Border.

“We need to play better,” Cook, who made 70  the first innings at Lord’s, said in his column for Sky Sports. “Test futures are on the line.

“It’s never great when you lose a game of cricket, even more so playing the way we did at Lord’s. It’s a frustrating time for us at the moment as a side; we’re not playing well.

“It’s tough on Mark Stoneman. It’s horrible. Playing for England is these guys’ dreams, so it’s not nice seeing people dropped. I spoke to him on Monday; he was obviously disappointed, as you’d expect, but he has to now go away, score runs and look at areas in which he can improve his game.

“It gives Keaton a great opportunity, and we just need people to grab these opportunities with both hands and to start pushing this side forward, like Jos Buttler and Dom Bess – on debut – did at Lord’s.”