Proteas coach Mickey Arthur last week complained that his side has played non-stop cricket for the past 12 months. This comes just a few weeks after India one-day captain Mahendra Singh Dhoni decided to skip the Test series against Sri Lanka, citing fatigue following a hectic schedule. Meanwhile, Pakistan won't play a Test this year.

With no cricket on the go for a while to come, Cricket365 decided to look back and find out exactly how many days of international cricket the nine major nations have played between 1 September 2007 and 1 September 2008.

While it is easy to criticise the players for using their "free time" from April to June this year to jetset to India for the Indian Premier League, the figures below prove that the international calendar is a bit overcrowded.

Australia - 46 games

* The Australians spent two weeks in South Africa for the Twenty20 World Cup
* Competed in a four-week ODI series in India
* Played two Tests against Sri Lanka over the space of three weeks
* Hosted New Zealand from 7 to 20 December for the Chappell-Hadlee Series
* Played four Tests against India on home soil over a month
* Hosted the one-month long Commonwealth Bank Series featuring India and Sri Lanka
* Toured the West Indies
* Hosted a three-match ODI series against Bangladesh

When you count the number of days the Australians were in the field, their total comes to 70 days of cricket. This figure includes 33 days of Test cricket and 37 limited-overs games.

Bangladesh - 34 games

* Competed in the T20 World Cup in South Africa
* Toured New Zealand from 16 December to 12 January
* Hosted South Africa from 17 February to 14 March
* Played three ODIs against Ireland over five days
* Hosted Pakistan in a limited-overs series from 8 to 20 April
* Hosted a tri-series involving Pakistan and India from 8 June to 14 June
* Competed in the Asia Cup from 24 June to 06 July
* Took part in an ODI series against Australia at the back end of August

Bangladesh have played 34 matches, of which four were Tests. In total they've spent only 43 days in the field as as none of their Test matches went the full five days.

England - 49 matches

* Took part in the T20 World Cup in South Africa
* Toured Sri Lanka from 28 September to 13 October for an ODI series
* Returned to Sri Lanka for a Test series from 20 November to 22 December
* Visited New Zealand 1 February to 21 March
* Hosted New Zealand from 21 March to 28 June
* Took on South Africa on home soil from 10 July to 1 September

England, along with India, have played the most Test matches (13), which means they've spent the most days in the field. In total they have played 85 days of cricket of which 57 days were for Tests and 28 for limited-overs games.

India - 54 matches

* Competed in T20 World Cup
* Hosted Australia in a limited-overs series from 29 September to 20 October
* Hosted Pakistan from November 2 to December 12
* Visited Australia from 22 December to 4 March
* Played a Test series against South Africa from 26 March to 13 April
* Toured Bangladesh for tri-series from 8 June to 14 June
* Competed in the Asia Cup from 24 June to 06 July
* Toured Sri Lanka from 18 July to 29 August

The Indians came closest to cracking the 100-days mark, playing 13 Tests and spending a total of 96 days in the field.

New Zealand - 47 games

* Played in the T20 World Cup
* Toured South Africa from 25 October to 2 December
* Visited Australia from 7 to 20 December for the Chappell-Hadlee Series
* Hosted Bangladesh from 16 December to 12 January
* Hosted England from 1 February to 21 March
* Toured England from 21 March to 28 June

In total the Black Caps have played 73 of cricket - 41 days for Tests and 31 for limited-overs games.

Pakistan - 43 games

* Competed in the T20 World Cup
* Hosted South Africa 29 September to 29 October
* Toured India from November 2 to December 12
* Hosted Zimbabwe in an ODI series from 14 January to 2 February
* Toured Bangladesh for a limited-overs series from 8 to 20 April
* Competed in a tri-series in Bangladesh from 8 June to 14 June
* Competed in the Asia Cup from 24 June to 06 July

Spare a thought for Pakistan - they've only played in five Tests in the past 12 months, all of which took place in 2007. Several of their home series have been cancelled due to unrest in the country. They've only played 62 days of cricket (24 Test days and 38 ODIs/T20s).

South Africa - 44 games

* Hosted the T20 World Cup
* Toured Pakistan from 29 September to 29 October
* Hosted New Zealand from 25 October to 2 December
* Hosted the West Indies from 14 December to 3 February
* Visited Bangladesh from 17 February to 14 March
* Played a Test series in India from 26 March to 13 April
* Toured England from 10 July to 1 September

In total the Proteas have played 92 days of cricket of which 64 were Test playing days and 28 were limited-overs games.

Sri Lanka - 42 games

* Took part in the T20 World Cup in South Africa
* Hosted England from 28 September to 13 October for an ODI series
* Hosted England for a Test series from 1 December to 22 December
* Toured Australia from 27 October to 20 November and again from 20 January to 29 February
* Toured the West Indies from 17 March to 15 April
* Competed in the Asia Cup from 24 June to 6 July
* Hosted India from 18 July to 29 August

The Islanders have played a total of 77 days of cricket (45 Test days, 32 ODIs/T20s)

West Indies - 33 games

* Competed in the Twenty20 World Cup
* Toured Zimbabwe from 20 November to 9 December
* Toured South Africa from 14 December to 3 February
* Hosted Sri Lanka from 17 March to 15 April
* Hosted Australia from 16 May to 6 July
* Competed in a tri-series against Associate Members from 18 to 24 August.

The team from the Caribbean have played 60 days of cricket (35 Test days, 25 ODIs/T20s).

Compiled by the indefatigable Shahida Jacobs