Captain Alastair Cook insists the England squad are not distracted by the current behind-the-scenes events in English cricket.
Kevin Pietersen made a strong statement in his quest to return to the Test team with 170 in 149 balls during Surrey’s match against Oxford MCCU on Sunday.
It was an on-field distraction from the upheaval within the England and Wales Cricket Board which has seen managing director Paul Downton sacked and former captains including Michael Vaughan and Andrew Strauss express an interest in replacing him.
But Cook is confident the team which takes on the West Indies at the Sir Vivian Richards Stadium this week will not take their eye off the match at hand.
"As you can see there are big decisions going on behind the scenes at the ECB, but that can't affect us and we're not letting it," said Cook on the eve of the three-match series.
"That's the way it should be. The day before a Test match a captain should be worried about what's important to him, which is making sure we're ready for trying to win a series out here in the West Indies."
Cook was informed of Pietersen's headline-grabbing knock before taking part in training, but his stance on the exiled batsman remains unchanged.
"As I said at the airport it's still the same thing, it's for other people to make that decision. As players we get on with it," he added.
"As players and staff out here we have to concentrate on what is important to us, which is the next three weeks."
Cook was non-committal on the various names suggested as replacements for Downton, a man with whom he enjoyed a good working relationship and whose exit was a source of sadness for the skipper.
"It's sad when anyone gets fired. Anyone knows it's not a nice feeling in any walk of life," said Cook.
"I enjoyed working with Paul and I thought he was a good man. I have absolutely no idea (who should come in). I'm reading less about it than anyone."
The captain also went out of his way to praise Jonathan Trott, who will play his 50th Test more than 18 months since leaving the 2013/14 Ashes with a case of situational anxiety.
"Trotty has come back from a pretty dark place in Brisbane to being back in the England squad,” he said.
"That itself is a fantastic achievement. Trotty's answered pretty much every question that's been thrown at him since then.
"For Warwickshire, for the Lions and hopefully now for England."