Arduous year means Strauss needs rest
Geoff Miller and dismissed suggestions that resting Andrew Strauss against Bangladesh and UAE move is disrespectful to their opponents.
As expected, the selectors opted to rest England captain Strauss, with vice-captain Alastair Cook promoted to skipper for the two-Test and three one-day international tour to Bangladesh.
Paul Collingwood will captain the side in the two Twenty20 internationals in Dubai which begin the tour.
Strauss excused from Bangla tour
Miller insists resting Strauss was necessary to allow him to return refreshed and to expose Cook to international leadership.
"There's an awful lot of cricket coming up in the next 12 to 18 months," Miller told Sky Sports News.
"He's had an arduous time as captain of an international side.
"It's not just a matter of the matches we're playing at the moment, there's the future to think about.
"We have to try and find a captain for future reference as well, so Alastair will take over the captaincy and Andrew will have a break and get ready for a very arduous 12 to 18 months.
"We want to keep this side together as much as possible, but the captaincy of that side is a mental battle and we want the captain to come back refreshed ready for the summer ahead."
Asked whether it was disrespectful to Bangladesh, Miller said the decision was purely down to the fixture calendar.
"This is an opportunity," he added.
"It's just how the fixtures and itinerary has worked out.
"Andrew has worked really hard prior to this and we feel he needs a break from it and will come back refreshed."
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Miller has no doubt Cook has the credentials to lead England.
"He's played over 50 Test matches now and it's not just a matter of thinking about the present time or the immediate future, there's the far future as well," the national selector added.
"He was given the vice-captaincy, so we want to see how he performs with the thoughts of captaincy.
"It'll be a difficult task, obviously - it always is to captain your country - and he's got to work on his batting too, but we think he's capable of doing that and he will get the opportunity to do so."
James Anderson has also been rested from the tour in order to undergo a specialist review and a programme of rehabilitation for his chronic right knee injury.
There had been suggestions more players might be rested, but Miller believes it is important to keep the squad together following their 1-1 Test series draw in South Africa.
"We want to try to keep this unit together as much as possible," said Miller.
"One or two of the batters didn't perform as they'd like to have performed in South Africa. But there are lots of other reasons."
It is anticipated that, following the rehabilitation period, Anderson will be fully fit and available for selection for the World T20 tournament in the West Indies in late April.
"Tour successful despite defeat"
However, the England medical team will assess the extent of the injury and the Lancashire seamer may yet undergo an operation.
"He's had this knee niggle for a while now and it's an opportunity to come back for a break," added Miller.
"We'll have a look at it to see what the problem is. He's had niggles with it for the last month or so, perhaps a bit more than that, so obviously we want to get him fit and raring to go for the next 12 months.
"It'll be an exploratory look at it and then we'll make a decision from there; our medical staff will make a decision from what they find."
Two uncapped players, the Yorkshire pace bowler Ajmal Shahzad and the Kent off-spinner James Tredwell, have won places in both squads, while another uncapped player in Hampshire batsman Michael Carberry has been included in the Test squad.
Their promotions to the Test team are vindication of England's methods of development, according to Miller.
"This is why we set out the Lions and the performance squad, so there isn't such a big gap from county cricket to the international scene," he said.
"We watch their progress, we monitor their progress and these are the ones that deserve their selection in the squad."
In Bangladesh, Tredwell could provide valuable support to Graeme Swann, England's man of the series in South Africa.
Miller added: "We thought long and hard about variation in spinners going out there and there's no reason to think we can't play two off-spinners in their conditions."
Shahzad initially was disappointed not to be included in the England Lions squad, but was thrilled with his eventual promotion to the full Test and one-day teams.
"I had no idea I was going to be in the squad," said the 24-year-old from Huddersfield.
"I was disappointed, to say the least, that I wasn't selected in the England Lions squad that got announced.
"I got a few phone calls saying 'how come I hadn't been involved or added to the squad?', but I had no answer to them.
"It was a massive relief to get the call and I'm just delighted to be selected for the tour."
Strauss admitted he was feeling "jaded" and that it would be counter-productive for him to continue playing until he was "mentally and physically exhausted".
He said: "There have been a number of discussions about this over a number of weeks between myself, Andy Flower and the selectors and Hugh Morris.
"I am feeling pretty jaded. It has been a long tour and a long year with the Ashes involved as well.
"We're also very conscious of the 18 months of cricket coming up from May with an Ashes away from home and a World Cup.
"The notion that a captain will continue until he is mentally and physically exhausted does not seem in the best interests of the side."
Cook added: "I can't wait for it to start. I'm very excited about what Strauss and Andy Flower have built up and I am very honoured to take over the role.
"It is a massive learning curve for me and a huge part in my development."
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