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Batting star Sachin Tendulkar has implored cricket administrators to make room in the packed international schedule for players to rest between series so they can stave off burnout.
The Indian great, on his final tour of Australia, said the current workload of international stars was demanding and that it was vital players were given adequate rest between series to recharge their batteries and work on their games.
But Tendulkar is not confident of his wish being granted, as administrators are scheduling more cricket than ever, especially given the boom in Twenty20 matches.
"We can have more cricket but it's equally important to have a little more gap in between the tours," Tendulkar said.
"So you kind of get some time to unwind yourself and spend some time with family, assess what happened the last test series and work on certain things and then come to Australia very well [prepared].
"It's important to get some break in between. But the international calendar is very tight so there's not much time to go back home and assess things. But that is how the calendar has become and we can't do much about it. We just have to get on with it."
India could not arrive in Australia any earlier than this week, given a hectic schedule in the second half of this year, which included the scheduling of the inaugural Twenty20 championship.
India are arguably the world's most highly-worked international side, given the country's love for cricket and its hunger for matches to be televised.
In 2007, India's stars have been constantly playing and their only rest came in April, following an early elimination from the World Cup in the Caribbean.
In May, they played one-dayers and tests in Bangladesh and then in June played South Africa in one-dayers in Ireland and began a tour of England.
Since touring England, India won the Twenty20 championship in South Africa, which delayed subsequent one-day series against Australia and Pakistan, plus three tests against their arch-rival.
The packed schedule meant India played three five-day tests against Pakistan over three weeks, which gave them room for only one (washed-out) tour match in Australia, before the first of four tests starts on Boxing Day at the MCG.
Tendulkar, 34, has played 142 tests and 407 one-day internationals in 16 countries during his 18-year international career but said the toll on players was heavy.
"We started our season in May and it's been quite some time," he said. "We have played a lot of one-day and test cricket, so it is a little demanding but we are ready for it. We don't want to find any excuses."
As soon as India's three-month tour of Australia ends, they will return home to begin preparations for the inaugural Twenty20 Indian Premier League, scheduled to start in April.
- AAP
