Thursday 21 May 2015 12:20, UK
Test captain Alastair Cook insists he issued 'no ultimatum' to England's management before they decided to continue Kevin Pietersen's international exile.
Cook was heavily criticised in Pietersen's autobiography, and it was reported last week that he presented new England and Wales Cricket Board director Andrew Strauss with a 'him or me' decision for the Ashes summer ahead.
However, at his and caretaker coach Paul Farbrace's press conference before the first Test against New Zealand at Lord's, Cook categorically denied this, maintaining the decisions to leave Pietersen out in the cold and to sack coach Peter Moores were taken without any input from him or his team-mates.
He said: "There was no ultimatum. I can deny that. There is nothing we can do about it as players. The decision has been made ahead of us, by Andrew Strauss and Tom Harrison. The story has been put to bed by the ECB.
"This thing has gone on for 15 months now, and we've got to start looking forward as a side."
Cook is confident, despite the management upheaval since England returned from the Caribbean this month, that they players are fully focused on the task in hand, under the supervision of interim coach Paul Farbrace.
He said: "It's been an interesting two weeks, but they are the decisions that have happened. We've just got to get on with the game now.
"I'm responsible for the team out on the field and the 10 other guys who are going to be with me on another fantastic occasion at a great ground. We've got to focus on that and all the external stuff is now focused on other people. I'll let them do their job and hopefully they'll let me do mine.
"It's another challenge, to have an interim coach. I think it's my fourth as a captain over the last two years. There are always challenges to deal with, and it's great to have Farby here."
Watch the first Test between England and New Zealand at Lord’s, live from 10am on Thursday on Sky Sports 2 (channel 403).
