Ponting happy to get desperately needed break from cricket

Johannesburg (South Africa), Apr.16 (ANI): Australian captain Ricky Ponting says that he is happy and relieved that he is getting a desperately needed break from cricket.

Ponting said that it did feel strange to be missing a whole tour as his deputy Clarke leads the national squad to the one-day series against Pakistan in Dubai and Abu Dhabi starting next week.

Asked if he had regrets about temporarily handing over the captaincy, Ponting said: "Yes and no".

"I think I've come to grips with it over the last 12 months anyway. It has happened a number of times in a couple of one-day games and a couple of Twenty20 games that I've missed. It's nothing new for me. For a whole series is something a little different," the Daily Telegraph quoted Ponting, as saying.

He said Clarke would gain valuable leadership experience.

"Pup (Clarke) is learning all the time about the role and the different things that come with the role," Ponting said.

"But right at the moment I feel like I need to get away and have a bit of a break, so that's the way it is," Ponting said. (ANI)