Australia's coach, John Buchanan, has expressed fears that his players face burnout due to the intense schedules they are being asked to fulfill. In the 18 months leading up to the 2003 World Cup, the Australians will only have one short break, with tours planned to South Africa, Zimbabwe and Pakistan as well as a home series against England.

With several members of the team nearing the end of their careers, Buchanan is worried that the pressures of non-stop cricket could prove to be too much. The well-publicised off-the-field problems of Michael Slater, which culminated in him losing his place in the team for the final Test of the Ashes series, were highlighted by Buchanan as an example of his concerns.

"It's an unfortunate product of what we're talking about," he said. "The life of a professional sportsman isn't that easy and Michael is not the first person, nor will he be the last, to go through tough times. I think we can help but I'm not exactly sure what we'll do just yet."

The Australian squad meet at the end of the month to discuss the coming season, and an examination of the mental pressures players face is expected to be high on the agenda.

"It's all something that's in need of discussion and we need a general awareness of what the total impact would be," said Buchanan. "Physically it's hard work for everybody, it's the same mentally and then you look at the emotional side of being away from your family for such a long stretch." He added that those pressures would be more intense were the team not so successful.

© Wisden CricInfo Ltd