GAYLE,SARWAN, CHANDERPAUL FOR RICH INDIAN AUCTION

Ponting tops Indian auction list

 

Ponting is one of 13 Australian players involved in the IPL

Australia captain Ricky Ponting has confirmed his participation in the Indian Premier League's inaugural Twenty20 tournament.

He will be among a group of star-studded names up for grabs at the IPL's auction in Mumbai on Wednesday.

Ponting is among 13 Australians in a pool of international cricketers set to feature in the ground-breaking auction.

Eight city franchises can spend a maximum of $5m (£2.565m) on eight contracted players.

Ponting's involvement in the lucrative league, which begins on 18 April and runs for 44 days, had been uncertain because of Australia's tour to Pakistan in May.

However, Cricket Australia has given the 33-year-old the green light to participate in the tournament but told BBC Sport his international commitments remained his priority.

 

LEADING NON-INDIAN PLAYERS

Australia: Ricky Ponting, Glenn McGrath, Shane Warne, Brett Lee, Matthew Hayden, Mike Hussey, Justin Langer

Bangladesh: Mohammad Ashraful, Mashrafe Mortaza

New Zealand: Stephen Fleming, Daniel Vettori, Jacob Oram, Brendan McCullum

Pakistan: Shahid Afridi, Shoaib Malik, Mohammad Yousuf, Shoaib Akhtar, Younis Khan

Sri Lanka: Mahela Jayawardene, Kumar Sangakkara, Muttiah Muralitharan, Sanath Jayasuriya, Lasith Malinga

South Africa: Graeme Smith, Shaun Pollock, AB de Villiers, Herschelle Gibbs

West Indies: Chris Gayle, Ramnaresh Sarwan, Shivnarine Chanderpaul

Wicket-keeper Adam Gilchrist, who recently announced his retirement from international cricket, Shane Warne and Glenn McGrath are also involved, but Michael Clarke, Mitchell Johnson and Brad Haddin all declined invitations to participate.

Top-name players are set to cost upwards of $400,000 (£205,000) in the auction.

Other players include Sri Lanka's Muttiah Muralitharan, South Africa's Graeme Smith and Pakistan's Shahid Afridi.

But England are the only leading Test nation with no involvement in this year's tournament.

The multi-million pound, International Cricket Council-sanctioned tournament will feature eight city franchises - Mumbai, Delhi, Kolkata, Bangalore, Jaipur, Chennai, Chandigarh and Hyderabad - playing 59 matches in total.

Each franchise can sign up to eight non-Indian players for their 16-man roster, but only four foreign players can feature in the starting line-up and each XI must also contain four Indian players under the age of 22.

Organisers are hoping to persuade cricket's world governing body to introduce a break in the international calendar to avoid direct competition with national boards.

However, England and Wales Cricket Board chairman Giles Clarke said he had no intention of releasing players to accommodate the 2009 IPL tournament as England were scheduled to tour the West Indies at the same time.

"I don't believe England players will be involved next year," said Clarke.

 

606: DEBATE

If you have a spare £2.5m burning in your back pocket, who's on the top of your shopping list?

 

 

BBC Sport's Pranav Soneji

"Several have already complained about burnout caused by too much cricket. Our players are contracted and we are committed to touring the West Indies at that time."

The Indian Cricket Board (BCCI) has already earned over £800m selling TV rights and team franchises for the IPL, which was set up as a direct competitor to the rebel Indian Cricket League.

The franchises have been snapped up by some of India's richest men, as well as a coterie of top Bollywood film stars.