By IANS
Melbourne : Altogether 12 Australian cricketers, including captain Ricky Ponting and retiring wicketkeeper batsman Adam Gilchrist, have signed a contract with the cash-rich Indian Premier League (IPL), Cricket Australia (CA) confirmed Tuesday.
Apart from Ponting and Gilchrist, the high-profile list of Australian cricketers who have signed the contracts and will be available for Wednesday’s auction, includes Brett Lee, Mathew Hayden, Andrew Symonds, the brother duo of Michael and David Hussey, Nathan Bracken, Cameron White and Simon Katich from the present lot, while spin legend Shane Warne, Glenn McGrath and Justin Langer complete the former players list.
For the first time in the game’s history, a total of 80 cricketers will be up for auction and the eight franchises, which have spent $780 million for the players, will bid for them Wednesday morning in Mumbai.
The IPL’s inaugural Twnety20 tournament will be a 44-day event consisting of 59 matches. The first game will be played under the floodlights at Bangalore’s M. Chinnaswamy Stadium on April 18 with the hosts taking on Kolkata.