Brisbane, eb. 12 : Australian cricket skipper Ricky Ponting believes it will be difficult for his players to continue playing all three forms of the game - Tests, ODIs and Twenty20s - as increased workload could lead to greater frequency of injury and lack of rest.

The cloud hanging over injured vice-captain Michael Clarke places the vexed issue of resting and managing player workload back in the spotlight, especially with crucial tours of South Africa and England on the horizon.

Clarke is among an ever-thinning number of Australians who consistently play Test, one-day and Twenty20 cricket - which also currently includes Ponting, Haddin, Mike Hussey and Mitchell Johnson.

All five have been rested at some stage this season, highlighted by Ponting''s reluctant two-match sidelining, which was halved when the captain demanded to return when his team fell 2-0 behind in the series.

"It''s going to be difficult (to play all three forms). International cricket has been difficult for the last couple of years anyway, trying to get the right amount of time between games is something that everybody in cricket has been working on and trying to make better. This next 12 months ... we''ve got coming up is probably the most busy I would have ever played in 12 or 13 years of international cricket,'''' Fox Sports quoted Ponting, as saying.

West Australian Adam Voges, capped only once, looms as the man with most to gain from Clarke''s injury, while Queensland all-rounder James Hopes would be in the running to open with Haddin at his home ground.

With showers forecast, Ponting hinted Test quick Peter Siddle, who has overcome a foot injury, could be handed his one-day debut to make an all-pace attack to exploit overcast conditions on a bouncy deck if Clarke is ruled out.

Ponting will equal Allan Border''s record of 178 matches as Australian one-day captain in the decider. (ANI)