Cook to sit out England`s West Indies tour

London: England captain Alistair Cook revealed on Sunday that he will not take part in his side`s tour of the West Indies in February and March.

England will play three one-day matches and three Twenty20 fixtures on the tour, as they build towards the World Twenty20 in Bangladesh in March and April. Cook oversaw England`s Ashes whitewash by Australia and subsequent 4-1 defeat in the one-day series, which culminated in a dramatic five-run loss in Adelaide on Sunday. Following the match, Cook explained that he had decided to sit out the Caribbean tour so that Twenty20 captain Stuart Broad and limited-overs coach Ashley Giles could hone their preparations for the Bangladesh trip. Asked if he would captain England against the West Indies, he told Sky Sports: "No, I won`t be. The Twenty20 guys have got their World Cup in Bangladesh and I think we see it as a great six weeks for them to start building the team. "They`re never together very often and it gives them and Broady and Gilo time to really have six weeks together to build for Bangladesh." Cook is due to leave Australia on Monday and he said that he will sit down with team director Andy Flower and new managing director Paul Downton to discuss the team`s future when he returns to England. "I fly home on Monday, and when I get home, over the next week or so I`m sure there will be meetings to have," he said. "It has been a challenging tour for me. I can`t not say that. It`s been a real tough tour for me. I am not exhausted, but I`m ready to put the pads away for a couple of weeks or so. "I will enjoy seeing my pregnant wife. I`ll enjoy seeing a few sheep (on the family farm) for a bit."