Flower warns players of IPL-related burnout

England coach Andy Flower is not too keen to see his players take part in the fourth edition of the Indian Premier League, citing that the T20 meet has already added to the busy international schedule of his cricketers.

According to Flower, it's more important that the players keep themselves fresh for national duty instead of playing in the cash-rich league.

Flower is concerned that the careers of England's top Test players, pace bowlers like James Anderson and Stuart Broad in particular, could be shortened by the heavy demands of IPL.

"I don't blame any of the players for wanting to go and play," said Flower.

"But it is tricky because the schedules are so heavy. Rest is sometimes as important as the hard training we put them through, especially for our front-line attack. They have made themselves available for IPL but it is dangerous in terms of the risk of injury and shortening their lifespan," Flower was quoted as saying by the Daily Mail.

The England coach was, however, full of praise for his team's achievements over the last few weeks.

"People say I underplayed our win in 2009," he said. "But while we won a series 2-1 which was special in its own right and the guys were rightly proud of themselves, we are a better side now than we were then.

"To come out here and get a result as we have done here is a much better achievement and we've done it in a more emphatic way. Everyone involved should be very proud of themselves," Flower said.