Ricky Ponting is feeling the heat.
Australia's four successive one-day defeats seem to have had their repurcussions and captain is the first one to face the music.
Ponting won't feature in the second one-dayer against New Zealand on Friday and might as well be dropped for the rest of the series.
The Australian selectors have decided to rest the captain for at least the said period.
Australia has had losses to endure Test series losses against India and South Africa in recent times and the 4-1 one-day series thrashing at the hands of the latter cost them their no.1 status.
Ponting, 33, has had the burden of carrying the side through the torrid period, and is one of only two players sans a braek during the same.
A tired looking Ponting fell victim to an error of judgment in the first one-dayer against the Kiwis at Perth and got run out for only five.
Michael Clarke, who was resting an injured thumb before the Perth match, will take over the captain's role in Ponting's absence.
"We are discussing Ricky having a break at the moment," chairman of selectors Andrew Hilditch said on Sunday.
"The reality is if he doesn't have a break now, he won't get one until the end of the South African tour, so I think a break is quite likely.
The Aussie captain has featured in all the four Tests against India, two against New Zealand, three against South Africa, two international Twenty20 matches and six one-day matches in the four-month period since October last year.
