Weary Pietersen relishing rest

England batsman Kevin Pietersen claims to be exhausted and is taking a four-day break abroad before next week's first Test against India.

Pietersen has been England's most consistent batsman since making his debut in 2005 but his comments will add to concerns over player burn-out.

The 27-year-old said: "I'm mentally fatigued - really, really tired. It was a long winter of Champions Trophy, then the Ashes, then the World Cup. I rattled into the West Indies series but got progressively worse, more and more tired."

He added: "That's why I have to make the most of these little windows of opportunity for a proper rest.

"So we're going out of this country, I'm going to turn my mobile off and enjoy waking up knowing I don't have to play cricket or do a gym session."