Early exit proves ECB wrong to sack me: Cook

Alastair Cook says England's early exit from the World Cup is proof the England and Wales Cricket Board were wrong to sack him as one-day captain just months out from the tournament.

Speaking in Abu Dhabi ahead of the Emirates T20 tournament this week, Cook has also poured cold water over Kevin Pietersen's plans to return to the England team, saying it was "very unlikely" that the South Africa born batsman would be welcomed back into the side.

Cook was replaced as ODI captain by Eoin Morgan in December last year, less than two months before England's World Cup opener against Australia at the MCG, which they lost by 111 runs.

England went on to suffer heavy losses to New Zealand, Sri Lanka and Bangladesh to finish fifth in Pool A and miss the quarter-finals of a tournament they were seeded No.1 for when the draw was made.

The decision to sack Cook came after England had won just nine of 25 ODIs in 2014 and the opener suffered a drop in form with the bat; he'd passed 50 just once in 22 matches before he was axed.

Cook had led the side since 2011 and said the decision to sack him had undone three-and-a-half years of preparation, which had included the Champions Trophy final in 2013.  

"I'm always going to have a slightly biased view on that," Cook said.

"I was there for three and a half years trying to do a job. We got to No.1 in the world with a full strength side and got to the final of the Champions Trophy.

"There were things I can be very proud of. As any captain will tell you, leading your country in a World Cup is a huge honour and one that can never be taken lightly.

"I was very much looking forward to that.

"I understand the pressure I was under. I wasn't scoring the runs I should, or could, have been scoring, so I understand that my position was in jeopardy.

"I said at the end of Sri Lanka that if there was a change, I couldn't complain because I hadn't scored the runs.

"But I think you saw in Australia the dangers of making such a big decision so close to the tournament.

"I don't know what's gone on on that tour, and I can only speak from watching a little bit from afar, but it did look like the lads were shell-shocked from the first two games.

"That's when you need real leadership to help steer you through that. Whether I would have made a difference, I don't know.

"But I was fully confident we would get out of our group, and from there, you've got to win three games in a row – that's how this World Cup has worked.

"I can't speak about what's gone on there in depth, but you always back yourself, and I would have loved to have had the opportunity that was taken away from me.

"The selectors made that decision because they thought it was the best for English cricket.

"Hindsight has probably proved them wrong, but now it's very easy to say that."

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On Wednesday, Cook was named to lead England's Test squad for their three-match series against the West Indies in the Caribbean before they return home for a series against New Zealand and the Ashes against Australia in the northern summer.

There has been renewed hope that Pietersen would be part of the England side again this year. The 34-year-old is reportedly close to turning his back on a lucrative Indian Premier League contract to play county cricket after being buoyed by comments from incoming EBC chairman Colin Graves that appeared to indicate Pietersen's sacking last year was not final.

But Cook all but ruled out supporting the push for Pietersen's return, saying the right-hander's explosive autobiography last year had opened wounds that could not be easily healed.

"I think it's very unlikely," Cook said when asked about Pietersen returning.

"There's been a hell of a lot of stuff happened with his book and all that kind of stuff. It's a long way back from that."

Cook added the nature of England's World Cup exit would have shattered the confidence of a side that is still feeling the effects of their 5-0 Ashes whitewash in 2013-14.

England's come-from-behind series win over India last year had been a bright spot in the fallout from the Ashes, and Cook said the side will need to rebuild again after the embarrassment of the World Cup.

"It was in a good place," Cook said of the mood in the camp.

"I wouldn't say all of it (confidence) has been, but a hell of a lot of it has been.

"You have to remember that it is a different format and you get a change, but all teams are grouped under the same English cricket umbrella, and we can't be naive enough to think that it's not.

"We have a repairing job to do, and the only way of doing that is by playing some good cricket and start winning.

"We built that momentum a little bit after the Ashes 14 or 15 months ago with a slightly younger side, including the likes of Gary Ballance and Joe Root.

"There was a good feel good factor about the English game in the middle of August after the Test matches.

"Since then, it's been tough going. We've got to rebuild again."