Glad to get a break after Ashes: Ponting

Melbourne:

Australian captain Ricky Ponting says he is relieved at being promised a short break after the Ashes as senior players like him risk exhaustion if they don't get enough rest in between the choc-a-bloc cricket calendar.

"Rest is really important for all the senior players during such a long and hectic schedule, with no break in our program until April next year. That means almost a year on the road for some of us," Ponting wrote in 'The Australian'.

Ponting will sit out of two Twenty20 games and the start of the seven-match ODI series against England after the Ashes. "I'm grateful to Cricket Australia for giving me a couple of Twenty20 and one-day matches off after the Test series," he said.

Australia is tied 1-1 with England in the Ashes after winning the fourth Test at Leeds inside three days. Ponting said the early finish came as a welcome break for players. "...it was great to give the guys a couple of days off.

Ben Hilfenhaus jumped on a train and went to Paris, Marcus North visited his in-laws in Newcastle, Michael Clarke went off to London and I chilled out with my family for a couple of days in Leeds," Ponting revealed.

Ponting lauded Cricket Australia for giving regular breaks to his teammates and said CA is the best board in the world when it comes to handling players.

"Cricket Australia has been terrific in recent years at finding a game for me to have off here and there with the bigger series in mind," he said.