Australia's World Cup-winning captain Ricky Ponting says that burnout caused by exhausting playing schedules is the team's biggest fear.

Ponting, 28, arrived with his side

at Sydney Airport on Thursday after leading the world champions to a 43 victory in the one-day series against Brian Lara's West Indies.

Steve Waugh, 38, had captained Australia to a 3-1 win in the Test series earlier in the two-month Caribbean tour.

"I think that (burnout) is the fear of everyone at the moment," Ponting told reporters.

"All the players want to play as much cricket for Australia as they can but at the same time don't want to be worn out, fatigued and have their careers cut a little bit shorter than they might have been.

"That's the biggest fear we've got in the team and we've mentioned that to various people and hopefully people will start listening to us pretty soon."

Australia's cricketers, who have been playing virtually non-stop since November last year, will have a short break at home before hosting a two-Test series against Bangladesh in July.

The Australian Cricket Board

(ACB) reacted to pressure from players last week by cancelling the team's involvement in a one-day tournament in northern Africa scheduled for August and September.

"We are very conscious of the need for players to now have a break," ACB chief executive James Sutherland said in a statement on Thursday.

"We are also conscious of getting the right balance between player workload and the long-term playing programme, particularly for those players who play both forms of the international game."

Australia extended their world record winning streak in one-day internationals to 21 before losing the last three games in succession in the Caribbean.

"It (the schedule) just really got to the guys. We were all a bit tired and you just look at the way we played in those last three games. We were very sloppy," Ponting said.

Ponting's teammate Jason Gillespie was less enthusiastic about any call for a lighter schedule.

"I don't know if that's the answer," Gillespie told reporters at Adelaide airport.

"I'm a fast bowler, I just go out and bowl and get a game when I can. I've missed a lot of games (through injury) and when I'm fit I want to play."