It's all very well for all of us to sit here and pass judgement on Ponting, and every other cricketer (or in fact sportsman) who dares to pop his head above the parapet and complain about being overworked. It's not very well for any of us ordinary folk to be comparing what Ponting does to what we do. There are a number of reasons:
Travel. While you or I might enjoy going away for a week, a month, or even years, it's vastly different to be going away to do your job. While cricketers might get to go to exotic places like the Caribbean, they also have to go to places like Pakistan or Sri Lanka, where they are often forced to exist under threat of terrorist attacks and hence be confined to their "luxury hotels" under armed guard. If they are lucky enough to go out in public, they'll often have to endure being recognised and hassled by complete strangers. Couple all that with being separated from your family and friends, and the fact that you might be touring a place you've already visited many times before. Our jobs may not be glamorous, but at least we get to see our partners/kids/mates, watch out own tellies, and sleep in our own beds every night.
Money. Yes, guys like Ponting get paid a lot of money. But many cricketers get paid far less than you might think. However, all cricketers have a limited time at the top, which may be cut even shorter by injury, or indifferent form. Some lucky individuals might be able to forge a career commentating after they've finished playing, but seriously, how many manage that? Many cricketers retire having done nothing else, and being qualified for nothing else. Getting paid plenty of money is some compensation for their shortened careers. We mortals might be paid far less, but for the most part, all the effort we have to expend at work is to sit behind our desks and get fat.
Living in the public eye. How many of us are subjected to the level of public scrutiny that these guys are? for goodness sake, one only has to browse these very forums to get an idea of the level of blaming and shaming that gets directed at them. It can get ridiculously personal and irrational. I challenge any of you to stand up and claim that your jobs expose you to that sort of attention and criticism.
While Ponting may be one of those who will do well out of his career, I'm sure that most of his players (and indeed the vast majority of international cricketers) will fade into obscurity once their playing days are behind them - he speaks for them as well as himself.
