Players Should Be given Rest - Dhoni

India captain Mahendra Singh Dhoni has warned that players will increasingly be forced to skip matches because of burnout caused by an overloaded cricket calendar.

Dhoni, who sat out India's three-test series in Sri Lanka in July and August, said Wednesday that excessive cricket both international and provincial was exhausting the players.

"It's getting increasingly tough. It's important for a player to decide when he cannot take it anymore," Dhoni said ahead of Thursday's one-day international between India and England here.

"I opted out of the test series in Sri Lanka because I needed a break," Dhoni said.

"Players know their body best and in future more and more players will come out and say that they are going to skip events," he said.

The one-day series against England will be followed by two tests. The one-week gap between the one-dayers and the tests will be used to stage the inaugural Twenty20 Champions League.

Dhoni is captain of Chennai Super Kings, one of two Indian teams in the Champions League which also features provincial teams from Australia, South Africa, England and Pakistan.

If the Super Kings reach the final, on Dec. 10 in the southern city of Chennai, Dhoni may miss the match because the first test against England begins the following morning in the western city of Ahmadabad.

The Indian board asked England if the first test could start a day later, but the itinerary was not changed because that would leave just two days' gap between the tests.

"For me, the country comes first," Dhoni said. "I'd like to play the test match if I have to make a choice."