JOHANNESBURG, (Reuters) – England captain Andrew  Strauss will miss his team’s forthcoming tour of Bangladesh in  order to remain fresh for this year’s Ashes tour of Australia  and next year’s 50 overs World Cup.

“It’s been a long year, I do feel jaded, and I’m very  conscious that in the next 18 months from June we have the Ashes  and the World Cup, two big priorities for this team,” Strauss  told a news conference yesterday.

“If you accept the need to rest players, then the captain  should be allowed to rest too.

“The notion that the captain must just carry on until he is  mentally and physically exhausted just doesn’t make sense. I  would never forgive myself if I turned up for the next Ashes  feeling exhausted.”  In a statement on yesterday , national selector Geoff Miller  said Strauss and pace bowler James Anderson would both be rested  for the Bangladesh tour with Alastair Cook taking over the  captaincy.

Cook, 25, said he was ready for the responsibility but aware  of the challenge facing him in Bangladesh.

“I’m very excited, I can’t wait to start. I’m very honoured  to be taking over from Andrew, but I know it’s going to be a  massive learning curve. Fortunately Andrew Strauss and (team  director) Andy Flower have laid a great foundation,” he said.

“I’ve got to do the job my own way, if you’re not going to  be your own man then you can’t do the job. But fortunately Andy  Flower and I do already have a relationship from his time with  Essex.

“I won’t be so much a gambling captain, I tend to think  things through for a long time before making decisions.”

Miller told a teleconference that Strauss had been rested  “because it’s an opportunity for him to get his mind right  again”.

“There’s another big summer ahead and then the Ashes defence  and we just felt it was the right time for him to take a break,”  Miller said.