In the aftermath of winning his second Allan Border Medal at Monday night's event at Crown Palladium in Melbourne, Steve Smith revealed he wasn't in the right frame of mind to be playing in the one-day series following the Test summer.

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Smith scored 687 runs at an average of 137.5 during the successful Ashes campaign, but in the one-day series also against England he only managed 102 runs at 20.4

The skipper was rested from the T20I tri-series against the Poms and Kiwis, and he believes the decision couldn't have come at a better time.

“An Ashes series takes that little bit more out of you with everything that is going on behind the scenes and I guess the pressure of the games and every game going five days as well – that doesn’t happen too often,” Smith told SEN Breakfast.

“I really needed a break at the end of the one-dayers. I was absolutely nowhere and I probably wasn’t honest with myself throughout it. Getting through the mid-stages of the one-day series I was looking at the finish line and hoping that it came around quickly.

“It’s been a good couple of weeks off and I want to pick up a cricket bat now, which is positive signs and (I’m) ready to go for what’s going to be an exciting and challenging tour of South Africa.”

Considering his lack of form in white ball cricket, perhaps rest should have been David Warner's priority as well.

Warner is standing in as skipper while Smith rests for the T20I series, but the dominant batsman has looked anything but his usual electric self.

The 31-year-old also had a prolific Ashes campaign, scoring 441 runs (third most) at 63, but his stats in the limited overs arena have become alarming.

He made just 74 runs during the five-match ODI series against England, and in his three T20I knocks thus far he has performed even worse and made just 12 runs.

Warner has maintained his desire to play in the series despite his lack of form, but with the location shift across the Tasman, he will now fly out later than the rest of the squad to spend a few days home in Sydney.

Australia won all three of their matches in the series so far, no thanks to Warner's blade, so the question must be asked, why is he still playing in the latter half of the tournament.

The Test side is set to travel to South Africa to play a four-match series against the world No.2 ranked side in March.

Considering they recently just beat the world No.1 ranked side (India) 2-1 at home in emphatic fashion, maybe common sense should prevail.

If we are any chance of beating the Proteas we need out vice-captain fit and firing.

England and New Zealand play the next T20 in the tri-series on Tuesday, Feb 13 at Wellington, while the Aussies next take on the Kiwis on Friday, Feb 16 at Eden Park in Auckland.