Ponting decided to skip IPL

Ricky Ponting has surprisingly skipped the upcoming IPL season saying he wants to focus on his country's commitments. In his column in the Australian Ponting wrote that "My country comes first and there was no way I could give my all for Australia if I used the only two-week break we have to go and play in India.

" I have been talking with my team, the Kolkata Knight Riders, for a month or two now and in the end my only choice was to withdraw from the 2009 competition, but I will most certainly be back for 2010 when I hope to be able to make a much greater contribution."

With a virtually packed international schedule this year, the decision by Ponting to not take part is a further blow to the Kolkatta Knight Riders allready reeling from the non involvement of the Pakistani players like Shoaib Akhtar, Umar Gul, Salman Butt and Mohammed Hafeez.

Ricky Ponting joins his vice captain Michael Clarke and England all rounder Stuart Broad in the list of players who have opted out of this year's IPL due to various reasons.

IPL loses out on $31 million deal

With just over a month to go for its second season, the IPL has lost out on a US$31.16 million deal spread over four years because of a dispute between Sony, its broadcasters and prime sponsor, and Big TV, a direct-to-home (DTH) provider.

Big TV officials have confirmed that they are no longer with IPL and have cited contractual violations as the reason for the pullout. The reason for the dispute is a separate deal that Multi Screen Media Pvt Ltd (MMPL), which holds the IPL contract under the Sony umbrella, has signed with Airtel Digital TV, which is Big TV's rival.

IPL had signed the DTH deal last August with Big TV, which is owned by the Reliance Anil Dhirubai Ambani Group, primarily for on-ground advertising and visibility at match venues. But earlier this year, Sony, which bought the IPL's telecast rights along with World Sport Group for US$ 1.02 billion, struck an on-air advertising deal on its own with Airtel - only Airtel's ads will be shown, in the DTH category, during IPL telecasts.

The IPL has now asked MMPL to clarify its position and the dispute has given rise to speculation that the IPL is reviewing its relations with Sony. In fact, matters took a curious twist today with reports emerging that Kunal Dasgupta, the chief executive of MMPL, had put in his papers.

However, Lalit Modi, the IPL chairman, was quick to clarify that Dasgupta's departure has nothing to do with the aborted Big TV deal. "He was the first person to have believed in what we were doing and it is very sad for me to see him go," Modi told Cricinfo. "He will be surely missed." Sundar Raman, the IPL CEO, said the league is working for an early resolution to the dispute. "Sony are our broadcasters and another ground partner has raised a valid issue, for which we have asked for a clarification," Raman said.

Rohit Gupta, president, network sales, MMPL, dismissed suggestions that the ongoing dispute would affect Sony's long-term deal with IPL. "We are discussing the issue with the BCCI and we are confident it will be resolved," Gupta said.

However, Big TV officials are clear that they will revive their IPL deal only if all the original conditions are met. "According to our IPL deal, we had the first right of refusal for an on-air advertising deal," Sanjay Behl, group head, brand and marketing, Reliance Communication, told Cricinfo. "Sony did come to us with their on-air offer but awarded the contract to a rival before we could respond. We have pulled out of the IPL and will look at reviving the arrangement only if the original terms and conditions are adhered to."

What's troubling Lalit Modi

• February 2005: After a controversial election, Lalit Modi becomes president of Rajasthan Cricket Association, controlled by the Rungta family for 38 years.
• December 11, 2008: Vasundhara Raje, in whose election campaign Modi played a key backroom role, is ousted as Rajasthan chief minister.
• January 21, 2009: A group headed by Kishore Rungta lodges a complaint against Modi alleging misappropriation of funds.
• January 28, 2009: Modi is accused of forging residence documents to enable him to contest the RCA elections in 2005
• January 30, 2009: Modi appoints a three-member arbitration tribunal comprising retired Supreme Court judges to look into the charges filed against him
• February 15, 2009: An NGO accuses Modi of fraud, alleging that a promised Rs 6 crore (US$1.2million) donation never reached the Chief Minister's Relief Fund.
• February 16, 2009: In a bid to pressure the RCA, Modi has suggested the home matches of the Rajasthan Royals could be shifted out of Jaipur. The Sawai Mansingh Stadium in Jaipur hosted the Rajasthan IPL team's home games last season.
• Much of Modi's troubles are cropping up because elections to the RCA are round the corner. They were scheduled to be held on February 21 but a Jaipur court has stayed the election process till February 24.

Cuttack and Ahmedabad added to IPL's list of venues

Lalit Modi, the IPL chairman, has announced today that 11 venues have been shortlisted so far for the Twenty20 games during the 2009 season. Cuttack and Ahmedabad are the new names in addition to the two grounds in Mumbai - the Brabourne Stadium and DY Patil Sports stadium - and the seven other venues from last year.

Modi said each franchise had the option of choosing two grounds in and around its catchment and the final list will be decided in the next couple of days. "There is an additional venue being discussed but we are waiting for a final decision on that from the franchise which is looking at another venue," Modi said. Owing to that the IPL has postponed the tender process for the IPL production rights to Friday.

Modi also said that the IPL's governing council had given him the authority to have the final say in case there was any opposition to the staging of matches at a venue from the state or city machinery. Modi, who is also the Rajasthan Cricket Association (RCA) president, had an FIR filed against him recently for misappropriation of funds and subsequently there were doubts over Rajasthan Royals hosting its matches in Jaipur. Modi said Rajasthan still preferred to host their matches in Jaipur, but expected cooperation from the state government.

"If any government, anywhere, is going to deter us from holding any of the IPL matches the governing council has authorised me make the final decision on whether or not to hold matches at any venue," Modi said.

Meanwhile, the IPL has decided to host this year's final at the Brabourne Stadium and has submitted its terms and conditions to the Cricket Club of India (CCI), the ground's owners. CCI's present constitution does not permit seating in the pavilion, something the IPL wants desperately. Modi is hoping the CCI members will arrive at a positive decision during the special general body meeting on February 27.

"Rajasthan Royals, the defending champions, have the rights to host the finals," Modi said. "Their first choice is CCI and the second is DY Patil. So the IPL has approached CCI to hold the final and sent its terms and conditions," Modi said. "At the moment the CCI constitution doesn't permit pavilion seating, which we need. We have offered to give them 5000 seats in the West end. If that does not work out then Rajasthan can decide on DY Patil stadium as an alternative or move to any other venue in the country."

Chennai Super Kings, last year's runner-up have the rights to hold the semifinals and they have decided to host both the games in Chennai. Modi added that from this year onwards the semis and finals will be operated by the IPL and the revenue would be shared between the IPL, the BCCI and the franchise that holds the rights.

Tait could make a huge impression - Berry

Darren Berry, the Rajasthan Royals' director of coaching, has said Australian fast bowler Shaun Tait could make an "enormous" impression during the IPL's second edition if he is available for the whole season. Although Rajasthan, the inaugural champions, will miss the services of Pakistan left-armer Sohail Tanvir, the highest wicket-taker in the 2008 season, Berry believed Tait could be as destructive with his pace as Tanvir was with his swing.

"I'm extremely excited about the fastest bowler in the world, Shaun Tait," Berry said as he announced Rajasthan's three latest overseas signings. "He has been out of the Australian team for a period but both [Shane] Warne and myself are quite close to Tait and believe he could have a significant impact in the IPL. Depending on his selection for the Australian ODI team [against Pakistan], we will have him for at least half of the tournament and his presence will be enormous. He is crucial given Tanvir's absence this year."

Berry said Rajasthan were aware the expectations will be higher after their "fairytale" triumph in the inaugural season. "Last year after the defeat in the first game against Delhi Daredevils I read headlines that Rajasthan were the circus of the IPL," he said. "The story that unfolded after that was like a fairytale. This is a new group of players, a new season and all other franchises will be looking to beat Rajasthan Royals. Last year we were the underdogs and this year we are the top dogs, but we still confident."

PCB requests IPL to revise Asif's ban

The PCB has asked the IPL to revise the time-period of the ban imposed on Mohammad Asif, requesting that it end in July this year as opposed to September.

Asif was banned for one year earlier this week by an IPL drugs tribunal for testing positive for nandrolone, a banned anabolic steroid, during the IPL last year. The ban has been back-dated to when the IPL imposed a suspension on him, on September 21, 2009.

The Pakistan board, however, has asked for the ban to begin from the day the IPL announced Asif had tested positive - July 14, 2008., which would mean the ban is lifted on July 14 this year.

"We have sent a letter officially to the IPL," Ijaz Butt, PCB chairman, told Cricinfo. "The ban runs till September 21 this year for the moment, but we have said in the letter that it should be back-dated to the date on which his result was announced."

IPL officials, however, say it is not in their hands but with the ICC. "As far as the IPL is concerned his ban stays till September," an official told Cricinfo. "Even the ICC has agreed to that. If he wants any review he will need to speak to the ICC."

Should the request be accepted, it will give Asif an outside chance of being available for Pakistan's tour of Sri Lanka, slated for July this year. Pakistan have struggled to field their first-choice pace attack over the last two years with injuries and disciplinary issues continuing to plague the likes of Asif, Umar Gul and Shoaib Akhtar.

Asif remains suspended by the PCB pending the end of the ban but Butt said recently that he was keen to induct Asif back into the fold as soon as the ban ends, fitness permitting.

Stuart Broad interested in IPL

 Stuart Broad, the England fast bowler, has said he would like to feature in the IPL sometime despite skipping this year's tournament because of a hectic international schedule and fitness concerns.

"There's no doubt that I would like to be involved in the IPL at some stage in my career but at this moment in time I want those three weeks [after the West Indies tour] to rest my body and mind before the summer that includes the World Twenty20 and the Ashes series," said Broad.

"I just feel that at this stage of my career as a 22-year-old, having quite a busy winter with four Tests and five ODIs in the West Indies, I was just going to use that three-week window as a break leading up to what is going to be a massive summer."

Broad also felt English cricket would receive a major boost as a result of hosting this year's Twenty20 World Cup. "I think hosting the event is a massive plus for us. Twenty20 is really big in England on the domestic side so to be having the World Twenty20 is going to make the crowds even more excitable," he said.

"The crowds in England love it when players hit fours and sixes and I imagine with a tournament like this they're going to love it even more, I think it's going to be a really exciting event." 

Pietersen likely to captain Royal Challengers

 Kevin Pietersen is likely to captain Bangalore Royal Challengers for the first three weeks of this IPL season for which he is available. Pietersen will then hand over the leadership to Rahul Dravid or Mark Boucher, a team source said.

"This scenario is a very strong possibility but a final decision is yet to be taken," the source said. "Shane Warne was denied the captaincy in Australia, and look what he did in the IPL last year (Warne's Rajasthan Royals won the tournament). We expect KP will have a point to prove too with regards to captaincy, and that will only benefit the team."

 Dravid, the former India captain, had led the Royal Challengers last year when the team finished seventh out of eight -- they were also tagged as a Test XI, including the likes of Jacques Kallis, and Wasim Jaffer.

This time, after Pietersen leaves for the home series against West Indies starting May 6, the team will be led by Dravid, if he is available, or Boucher. Dravid's wife is expecting their second child in the first week of May, and franchise officials are unsure whether he will be available during that period. "After Pietersen and Dravid, Boucher has been identified as a strong captaincy option," the source said. This year's IPL will run from April 10-May 24 but officials are yet to release the final schedule. 

Pietersen didn't lose sleep tracking IPL auction

 Kevin Pietersen has said he did not stay up all night in Jamaica, where he was on tour with the England side, awaiting the results of the IPL auction on February 6. Pietersen emerged the big winner along with team-mate Andrew Flintoff at the event in Goa, earning annual contracts worth US$1.55 million each, making them the highest-earning players in the league. However, Pietersen said he was wary of flaunting around his dollars while his friends were coping with the global economic crisis.

"It's an unbelievable amount of money," Pietersen told News of the World. "But I didn't stay up all night waiting for the results of the auction. I am in the Caribbean in the middle of an important Test series against the West Indies and preparation and focus for that is the most important thing.

"I was honoured when I heard the news that I was one of the most highly-rated players in the world. But I can't let things like this affect my focus," he said. "There has been no banter in the dressing room as to how much money we went for. There is a huge credit crunch in England and some of my mates have been made redundant. I have friends who have lost their jobs, so it's not the time to start shaking your money around."

While Pietersen was bought by Bangalore Royal Challengers, Flintoff was purchased for the same sum by Chennai Super Kings - who had paid US$1.5m for Mahendra Singh Dhoni last year. Flintoff, too, was happy with the way things had panned out. "We would not have had any problem with different prices, but I guess being the same might stop a few of the other lads taking the mick. I'm very pleased. I went in at $950,000 so to get that much it's unbelievable really, it has not quite sunk in, I guess. I regard it as a massive bonus.

"My team includes guys like my friend Murali [Muttiah Muralitharan], Matthew Hayden and Mahendra Singh Dhoni as captain. So it's a very exciting team," he said. "But I'm here in Jamaica playing a Test match. My mind is full of that and the IPL is not for another six weeks. I just regard it as a massive bonus."

Paul Collingwood and Owais Shah were the other players in the touring party to bag contracts - both for the Delhi Daredevils. "I didn't make any plans to stay up with the Test match in progress, but I must admit I got a text message telling me what had happened. I slept easily after that!" Collingwood said. "I'm absolutely delighted at the price tag on my head. The reserve price was $250,000 so to get a bit more than that is a really nice feeling."

Kings XI Punjab reloaded for Season 2 of the IPL

After inducting England batsman Ravi Bopara at three times his base price and West Indian pacer Jerome Taylor in their ranks, Kings XI

Punjab has announced their squad for the second edition of the Indian Premier League.

Bopara was bought by the Mohali team for $450,000 while Taylor cost them $150,000.

With the duo in their squad, Kings XI now have six Australians, two Sri Lankans, an English player and a West Indian cricketer which makes their quota of 10 international players, a media release said.

The international Players are Brett Lee (Fast bowler), James Hopes (All rounder), Shaun Marsh (batsman), Luke Pomersbach (batsman), Simon Katich (batsman), Burt Cockley (fast bowler) -- all from Australia -- Kumar Sangakkara (batsman/wicketkeeper), Mahela Jayawardene (batsman) -- both from Sri Lanka -- England's Ravi Bopara (all-rounder) and West Indies' Jereme Taylor (fast bowler).

Team India Players: Yuvraj Singh (batsman), Irfan Pathan (all rounder), S Sreesanth (fast bowler), R Powar (off spinner), VRV Singh (fast bowler) and Piyush Chawla (leg spinner).

Indian Domestic Players: Karan Goel (batsman), Uday Kaul (batsman/wicketkeeper), Wilkin Mota (all rounder), Ajitesh Argal (medium pacer), Tanmay Srivastava (batsman), Sunny Sohal (batsman), Sahil Kukreja (batsman), Ryan Ninan (all rounder) and Yash Gandhi (batsman). 

Young chargers in Ambani's stable

            Industrialist Mukesh Ambani relies on experienced professionals to lead the charge in his various businesses. But youth is the buzzword when it comes to his IPL franchise. On Friday, as Vijay Mallya and N Srinivasan battled for the glamorous heavy-hitters, Mumbai Indians focused on upcoming, raring-to-go youngsters. They acquired two batsmen and a bowler, all of different nationalities.

The team’s most prized and expensive buy was the South African sensation Jean Paul Duminy. The batsman was very much in demand and was one of the few players for whom there was multiple bidding. Mumbai Indians managed to get him eventually.

The player was bought for $950,000 while his base price was set at less than one-third of that at $300,000.

Kyle Mills the New Zealand bowler was bought at the base price set for him of $150,000 and Mohammad Ashraful, the Bangladeshi batsman was bought for his base price of $75,000.

Nita Ambani, Mumbai Indians said, “We are excited that we are bringing three more talented youngsters which will balance the team. We are happy that JP Duminy will be playing for us.” 

Chennai goes full throttle with an eye on IPL title

CHENNAI: If you want the cup, you must have the best. And if you want the best, you jolly well pay for them. That sums up the strategy of Chennai

Super Kings (CSK) who picked up Andrew Flintoff for $1.55 million at Friday's auction.

Many may raise their eyebrows over the deal, especially when Flintoff will be available only for 21 days, translating into five or six matches at the most. But this is what VB Chandrasekhar, director-cricket operations, Chennai Super Kings told ET: "Flintoff is an all rounder, coming in at that slot. He will give the team a head start and help us reach the last four so that the pressure is off when the other inter-national players come in".

A similar strategy worked for CSK even last time round. The team won the first four matches it played (against Punjab Kings, Mumbai Indians, Kolkata Knight Riders and Bangalore's Royal Challengers, in that order) which included interna-tional players Oram, Hussey and Hayden, giving it a good headstart in the tournament.

Jacob Oram (4 matches), Michael Hussey, Matthew Hayden (both around eight matches) and Morkel (nine matches) — none of who played the entire series (of 14 matches) — earned good rewards for the team.

But was Flintoff over-priced? Here is the answer from India Cements vice presi-dent-marketing Rakesh Singh: "There were few good players in this auction. There was no way we could have got him at a low price. It is a question of demand and supply."

While the team has a good list of batsmen and bowlers, what it lacked was a good fast bowler. "There was nobody in that department except Muralidaran and Balajee. Flintoff fit the bill. His being a world-class all-rounder is an added advantage for the Chennai team," said a cricket analyst in Chennai.

But everyone agrees it was because of Dhoni's captaincy that they reached the fi-nals last year. Officials say this time, too, Dhoni will be instrumental in bringing out players' individual strengths to come up with a winning side.

The current CSK international line-up also goes well with it's wanting to qualify for the Champions League -- an international Twenty20 cricket competition between clubs from Australia, England, India, Pakistan and South Africa -- which they qualified for last year too. The championship eventually did not take place for various reasons. Interestingly, three players in the Chennai team are also part of other international leagues. In addition to CSK, Albie Morkel also plays for Titans (South Africa), Hussey for Western Australia and Flintoff for Lancashire.

"Which team they chose to play for depends on the player. Morkel and Hussey, though, have agreed to bat for Chennai," Tamil Nadu Cricket Association honorary secretary KS Viswanathan said. This involves a payout to the other team by CSK to the tune of around $250,000 per player, which CSK is willing to fork out, according to Viswanathan.

Mr Singh said they had Flintoff in mind when they went into the hall. "The other two players were also available at a good price," he added, refering to Sri Lankan Thilan Thushara and Australian George Bailey. On whether the team missed out on any player, Chandrasekhar said they also wanted Owais Shah, who was bought by the Delhi team.

On how the team compares with the latest line-up from the other teams, Viswana-than said they were confident as they had a "balanced team". But he hastened to add that no team could be called the best as most had put together teams with the best international and domestic talent. CSK also signed on local boy M Vijay a few months ago.

On the branding front, India Cements, which owns CSK, is confident that the cricketing franchisee would fetch them more visibility in north India, where it has chalked out expansion plans. Company officials also said the franchisee was a com-pany asset that they would not monetise or put up for sale anytime soon.

"Our brand became more visible through IPL. This team is an inherent asset and we do not want to sell it now," India Cements vice president-operations N Venkates-waran said. A few days ago, Rajasthan Royals sold a 12% stake to London-based entrepreneur Raj Kundra and Bollywood celebrity Shilpa Shetty.

The IPL is in line with the company's strategy to be a pan-Indian player, Venkates-waran said. The company is planning to set up plants in Northern India and believes this tournament will help in making its brand more visible among its future cus-tomer base. In fact, the company is also considering branding its products as 'Super King', which will immediately create a brand recall among customers there.

Mortaza determined to prove his worth in IPL

Mashrafe Mortaza, the new Knight Rider to join Bollywood superstar Shah Rukh Khan's team, is elated at being part of the IPL bandwagon.

Mortaza turned out to be the only player Kolkata Knight Riders purchased during Friday's auction. Kolkata forked out a staggering $600,000 after an intense bidding battle with Kings XI Punjab. Mortaza's base value was set at $50,000, which meant a 12-time increase.

"I feel it's a good opportunity for me to go and perform there from the first match," the Bangladeshi bowling all-rounder told CNN-IBN.

"I surely didn't imagine I would get that much money (at the auction), but I feel very good," he said. "I just hope I go there and perform and show them that I'm capable of doing that."

Mortaza would be bouyed by the fact that he will be turning out for Kolkata, which is neighbouring Bangladesh. He was also ecstatic about sharing the dressing-room with icon player and former India captain Sourav Ganguly and other stars from world cricket. Also a certain Shah Rukh Khan.

"Shah Rukh Khan, Sourav Ganguly is also there," he said. "John Buchanan is also there, one of the best coaches (in the world). Everything about the side is good."

Mortaza said he keenly followed Kolkata's progress at last year's IPL, and pointed out that the loss of international players in the middle of the tournament cost them a lot of games despite a blazing start.

"Kolkata has a very good side," he said. "I saw their matches last year as well. They lost some of their key players in the middle of the tournament. But they are a very strong side."

The Bangladeshi international, who has been in stellar form of late, said he would much rather enjoy his month-and-a-half-long IPL stint and not worry about pressure.

"Hopefully when I go to join them I can learn something from them," he said. "I have been playing for Bangladesh for the past eight years where I've learnt how to play under pressure. So I'm going to enjoy it (the IPL) and not going to take any pressure."

Vettori backs New Zealand names

Daniel Vettori has expressed his pleasure that fellow New Zealand players Kyle Mills and Jesse Ryder have been bought by IPL franchises. "Kyle [Mills] has for the last 18 months just been outstanding so for him to get picked up is very pleasing and to go to Mumbai that will be a real challenge for him," he said. "I'm pleased that it [support for Ryder] is there. I think it'll make it a lot easier, a lot more comfortable for him. He's quite a shy guy, Jesse, so for him to be lumped into a situation where he didn't know anyone and not sure what's expected of him, it may have been quite hard. Ross [Taylor] will be there and they've known each other for a long time so it'll make the settling in process a lot easier for him."

Proud Mortaza credits hard work

 Mashrafe Mortaza, the Bangladesh allrounder, has said his lucrative IPL contract is a reward for hard work and a consistent season. Mortaza, 25, was picked up by the Kolkata Knight Riders for $600,000 after a protracted bidding war with Kings XI Punjab that saw his value shoot up to 12 times the base price.

"Obviously I am pleased. I feel this is a result of all the hard work I have put in over the years and also a reward for being consistent this season," told Mortaza .

Mortaza's value to Kolkata was no surprise, both in cricketing terms - the Knight Riders are without Shoaib Akhtar and Umar Gul - and as a "local hero", given his ethnicity. What did raise eyebrows was Punjab's relentless bidding, and Mortaza offered one explanation for that. He said Yuvraj Singh, the Kings XI Punjab captain, had promised him to take him on. "I often had conversations with Yuvraj and he said he would take me in his side," Mortaza, who figures at No. 8 in the ICC ODI rankings, was quoted as saying.

That Punjab's pursuit of Mortaza was not just a red-herring to catch Kolkata off guard was confirmed by franchise stake-holder Preity Zinta. "Mortaza is a great player, an all-rounder and we wanted him. But you win some, you lose some," she said.

Mortaza is excited about playing in Kolkata, and under Sourav Ganguly. "I have lots of friends and fans in India. I love being there and it is a pleasure to play in India, he said. "Kolkata is just next door and I know how much people there admire Bangladeshi cricketers… my challenge is to go over there and prove my worth."

Lalit Modi, the IPL chairman, said he thought Mortaza's signing made great business sense for Kolkata. "We were all very surprised (at Mortaza's price tag), but it makes great sense for them. Bangladesh falls in Kolkata's catchment area under a new proposal we are discussing on letting franchises stage matches overseas. This could work well for KKR later."

Mortaza's windfall was acclaimed by his captain, Mohammad Ashraful - who himself was signed up by the Mumbai Indians. "I am very happy for Mash [Mortaza] as he has been outstanding day in and day out for us."

The one Bangladesh player who surprisingly didn't make the cut, though, was Shakib Al Hasan, and Mortaza spared a thought for him. "I would have been a lot happier if Shakib had got a team because he truly deserved it for his sensational form with the bat and ball," he said. 

Flintoff and Pietersen most expensive buys

 The second IPL auction, held in Goa on 6th Feb, has made Kevin Pietersen and Andrew Flintoff the highest-paid cricketers. Each fetched bids of US$ 1.55 million in an event that lacked the glamour and sheer drama of last year's auction but had its moments of surprise. The bidding war for Mashrafe Mortaza, the 25-year-old fast bowler from Bangladesh, stole the show; he eventually went for $600,000 to the Kolkata Knight Riders - 12 times his base price; a close second was Tyron Henderson, a relative unknown but actually the world's leading wicket-taker in this format, who was snapped up by Rajasthan for $650,000.

Shaun Tait was the first player to go under the hammer with the Rajasthan Royals snapping up the Australian fast bowler for $375,000. Next up was JP Duminy, the South African batsman, who turned out to be one of the star buys at the auction. Most people had predicted Duminy (base price: $300,000) would breach the $1 million barrier and he nearly did. But in buying Duminy for $950,000 the Mumbai Indians effectively ruled themselves out from the bidding for Pietersen and Flintoff, who took home a combined purse of $3.1 million. 

List of players sold so far..

 Seventeen slots were filled in over two hours of the 2009 IPL auction in Goa. Here is a list of the players who have been bought at the auction (base price in brackets; all numbers in US$):

Pool A
Shaun Tait to Rajasthan Royals 375,000 (250,000)
JP Duminy to Mumbai Indians 950,000 (300,000)
Andrew Flintoff to Chennai Super Kings 1.55 million (950,000)
Kevin Pietersen to Bangalore Royal Challengers 1.55 million (1.35 million)

Pool B
Fidel Edwards to Deccan Chargers 150,000 (150,000)
Owais Shah to Delhi Daredevils 275,000 (150,000)
Paul Collingwood to Delhi 275,000 (250,000)

Stuart Clark, Brad Haddin and Chamara Kapugedara were unsold.

Pool C
Tyron Henderson to Rajasthan 650,000 (100,000)
Ravi Bopara to Kings XI Punjab 450,000 (150,000)
Thilan Thushara to Chennai 140,000 (100,000)
Jesse Ryder to Bangalore 160,000 (100,000)
Kyle Mills to Mumbai 150,000 (150,000).

Ashwell Prince, Phil Jaques, Andre Nel, Luke Wright and Nuwan Kulasekara were unsold.

Pool D
Dwayne Smith to Deccan Chargers 100,000 (100,000)
Jerome Taylor to Punjab 150,000 (150,000)
Mohammad Ashraful to Mumbai 75,000 (75,000)

Samit Patel, Shakib Al Hasan, Morne van Wyk, Steven Smith, Ashley Noffke, Gulam Bodi and Daren Powell were unsold.

Pool E
Tamim Iqbal, Jon Moss, Bryce McGain, James Franklin, Aiden Blizzard, Ramnaresh Sarwan, Michael Klinger, Kaushalya Weeraratne, Prasanna Jayawardene and Dominic Thornley were unsold.

Pool F
Mashrafe Mortaza to Kolkata Knight Riders 600,000 (50,000)
George Bailey to Chennai 50,000 (50,000)

Yusuf Abdulla, Daniel Harris, Kemar Roach, Aaron Bird, Michael Dighton, Michael Hill and Brett Geeves were unsold. 

IPL terminates contracts of six Pakistan players

 There are 50 hopefuls, but only 17 will be smiling . Six Pakistanis - Younis Khan, Shoaib Malik, Shoaib Akhtar, Shahid Afridi, Salman Butt and Mohammed Hafeez - already have a reason to feel aggrieved, after their franchises opted to terminate their contracts. With players from across the border being denied permission to play in the IPL, four other contracts - Umar Gul, (Kolkata), Misbah-ul-Haq (Bangalore), Kamran Akmal and Sohail Tanvir (Rajasthan) - have been "suspended", with the affected teams allowed to sign replacements outside of the auction.

Lalit Modi, the IPL chairman, set the stage for the auction at the Fort Aguada resort, and also spoke of the possibility of games eventually being staged outside the franchise's home city, in imitation of America's National Football League and Major League Baseball.

There were 43 names on the list, but with the Pakistan players unavailable, the franchisees got together and extended the wish-list to 51. With Michael Clarke pulling out, the number is now an even 50. Australia has the greatest representation, with 18 players, though no dates are yet available for how long the national team members - with games against South Africa and Pakistan pencilled in - will be able to play the second season.

"A player can pull out only if he is injured or has an FTP [Future Tours Programme] commitment," Modi said. "Regarding the Pakistan players, franchisees have the option of either terminating their contract or suspending it. If they terminate the contract, the player becomes a free agent and the team gets a slot [in the auction]."

The Kolkata Knight Riders' well-documented problems with the Cricket Association of Bengal may also result in some or all of their games being staged at another venue in the catchment area, possibly Cuttack. The Rajasthan Royals have also expressed an interest in playing some of their games in Ahmedabad, though it remains to be seen if either move will happen this season.

The eventual plan is to extend the concept beyond the national border too. "We are also trying to expand the catchment territory to the neighbouring countries, subject to approval from other boards," Modi said. "For instance, the Knight Riders can have some matches in Bangladesh, the Chennai Super Kings in Sri Lanka and the King's XI Punjab in Pakistan. Whether it's possible or not is a million-dollar question but this is our long-term plan to expand the base." 

Duminy the smartest pick in IPL auction

Most franchises agree that this year's smartest pick will be JP Duminy, the South African batsman.

Duminy, who is  a brilliant fielder, played a key role in South Africa's success in Australia and is now being tagged by the franchises as "a favourite and one of the top three picks" for the season.

The franchises concede the big money will be spent on Pietersen (base price: $1.35 million) and Flintoff ($950,000), especially after Clarke's withdrawal. "Now if you are thinking long-term, current form and availability, then Duminy is your man," a franchise official said.

Duminy's base price is $300,000 but what has made him a particularly attractive purchase, according to franchise officials, is that he will be available for most of this tournament, which starts on April 10 - the South African players are free after the home ODI series against Australia ends on April 17. In contrast, England players will be available only for the first three weeks of the IPL while the Australians will be free towards the end after they play Pakistan in an ODI series after the South Africa tour.

"Duminy is also a natural strokeplayer, a great fielder, and at 24, your player for the future," the official said. "You can expect vigorous bidding in his case." 

Clarke pulls out of IPL auction

 Michael Clarke has pulled out of the IPL auction - where he had a base value of US$1 million - citing Australia's busy international schedule for his decision. Clarke was set to be among the top three picks and Chennai Super Kings, last year's finalists, were expected to lead the bidding for him in Goa on Friday.

Clarke, who joins Mitchell Johnson and Stuart Broad in deciding to stay away from the IPL, made the announcement at the MCG, where Australia were preparing for Friday's game against New Zealand. "Speaking with my management, my family, my fiancee and the hierarchy of the IPL and for me this year, I won't be going to the IPL," he said.

"There's probably a number of reasons but the most important thing for me is we've only got a couple of weeks off, we've got a really busy schedule, and I just think for where I'm at with my body and that time at home it's valuable for me. I'd love to take part in it one day. It's just about finding the right time for me to be a part of it."

Clarke chose not to go last year and said it was a tough decision this time. "There's obviously a lot of great things about the IPL and that's why I say I certainly want to be a part of it at some stage," he said. "Every player is in a different position as well but for me - mentally, physically where I am - I just think those two weeks at home will be great for my to come home and see family and friends."

Asked whether he was surprised, given the constraints, that so many Australian players had signed up, Clarke spoke of the positive spin-offs from the tournament. "I think it's a wonderful thing for cricket," he said. "It's definitely improved Twenty20 cricket, certainly played a part in improving one-day cricket and the lead-up to the Twenty20 World Championship is the IPL, so it's pretty good preparation. It doesn't surprise me so many guys are going there. It's just a personal choice at this stage."

Lalit Modi, the IPL commissioner, believed Clarke opted out to avoid an embarrassment at the auction. "I don't think anybody is ready to pay that kind of price [$1m]," Modi told the news channel NDTV. "The reality is in front of him. He didn't want to be unsold in the auction and so decided to pull out. We asked him to reduce the price but he was unwilling.

"Unfortunately, he pulled out earlier and there was penalty in the first year but this year we have waived off the penalty and I don't think we will be able to move forward like this. We will discuss the matter in our governing council and have the answer by this evening." 

Rajasthan Royals sell minority stake

 Rajasthan Royals, the reigning IPL champions, have sold a 11.7% stake in their franchise for approximately US$15.4 million to Shilpa Shetty, the Bollywood actress, and her partner Raj Kundra, a UK-based businessman. That puts the valuation of the franchise at around $140 million, more than double the $67 million the owners, Emerging Media, paid for it a little over a year ago.

Shetty, winner of the UK TV show Celebrity Big Brother in 2006, is the fourth Bollywood personality to be associated with the IPL, after Preity Zinta (Kings XI Punjab), Shah Rukh Khan and Juhi Chawla (Kolkata Knight Riders).

Manoj Badale, representing Emerging Media, described the new deal - the first known instance of a franchise selling part of its stake - as "a strategic alliance".The focus last year, he said, was to make Rajasthan Royals a well-known brand in India; this year the strategy is to globalise it.

"We want to make Rajasthan Royals into more than a cricket franchise, want to make it into a global brand. It was the second-most popular team in all of India last year," he said. 

Pietersen leads list of 111 players for auction

 The IPL has announced an exhaustive list of 111 overseas players who will be considered for the second auction in Goa on February 6. Not surprisingly, Australians dominate the list (27) while the big difference from last year's edition is the addition of 19 England players, a number that would have even higher but for the late withdrawal of Shaun Udal.

Each franchise has a maximum of US$2m to spend on their overseas signings in the auction, which gets underway on February 6, and it is likely that only about 16 players - or two per franchise - will be chosen out of the 111.

The England players will be available for a three-week window in the tournament for the next two years, with Kevin Pietersen the star attraction. Pietersen's base price has been pegged at US$1.35m, and it is expected that he will top Mahendra Singh Dhoni's US$1.5m salary, currently the highest in the league. Veterans like Dominic Cork and Darren Gough also figure in the list.

"We are extremely happy with the interest the league has garnered globally," said Lalit Modi, the IPL commissioner, "and look forward to the action at the second player auction in Goa.

"I think it's important for world cricket and for the IPL that the English players are participating," he told Sky Sports News. "I think that they are all very, very good players. Some are batting players and some are players who have great experience behind them and I think it will be very good for the second edition of the IPL.

"The prices are based upon the 14 league games. If they play 10 of the 14 games they get paid according to ratio. If they play seven they get half."

Modi said the demand for England's top stars would be high. "If you look at the base price it's close to US$250,000 and US$350,000 a week for each week he [Pietersen] plays, which is comparable to the top soccer players around the world," he told Setanta Sports News. "Andrew Flintoff has a minimum base price of US$950,000, but he'll probably go for a higher figure. It'll be quite competitive. All the teams can afford it. Everyone's trying to get England's top players in their team."

List of players for second auction
Australia: Brad Haddin, Michael Clarke, Nathan Hauritz, Stuart Clark, Brad Hogg, Beau Casson, Mark Cameron, Peter Forrest, Lee Carseldine, Doug Bollinger, Michael Dighton, Jason Krejza, Nathan Reardon, Chris Hartley, Shaun Tait, Ashley Noffke, Bryce McGain, George Bailey, Travis Birt, Michael Hill, Chris Swan, Michael Klinger, Ben Edmondson, Aiden Blizzard, Mark Cosgrove, Adam Voges, Shane Harwood

England: Kevin Pietersen, Andrew Flintoff, Steve Harmison, Ravi Bopara, Monty Panesar, Robert Key, James Foster, Sajid Mahmood, Matt Prior, Ian Bell, Paul Collingwood, Owais Shah, Darren Gough, Ryan Sidebottom, Graeme Swann, Luke Wright, James Anderson, Ed Joyce, Dominic Cork

Bangladesh: Shakib Al Hasan, Mohammad Ashraful, Mashrafe Mortaza, Tamim Iqbal, Junaid Siddique, Mehrab Hossain jnr, Rajin Saleh, Ziaur Rehman, Mahmudullah, Mushfiqur Rahim, Raqibul Hasan, Nadif Chowdhury

New Zealand: Mark Gillespie, Tim Southee, Jesse Ryder, Jeetan Patel, Kyle Mills, Chris Martin, Jamie How, Peter Fulton, James Franklin

Pakistan: Asim Kamal, Mohammad Hafeez, Yasir Hameed, Danish Kaneria, Yasir Arafat

South Africa: Gulam Bodi, Rory Kleinveldt, Charl Langeveldt, Ashwell Prince, JP Duminy, Martin van Jaarsveld, Roelof van der Merwe, Andre Nel, Neil McKenzie, Yusuf Abdullah, Paul Harris, Johan Botha, Morne van Wyk, Tyron Henderson

Sri Lanka: Thilan Thushara, Nuwan Kulasekara, Mahela Udawatte, Dammika Prasad, Thilina Kandamby, Kaushalya Weeraratne, Jehan Mubarak, Dilhara Lokuhettige, Malinga Bandara, Malinda Warnapura, Michael Vandort, Prasanna Jayawardene, Upul Tharanga, Kaushal Lokuarachchi, Jeevantha Kulatunga

West Indies: Sylvester Joseph, Darren Sammy, Andre Fletcher, Kieron Pollard, Kieran Powell, Fidel Edwards, Dwayne Smith, Kemar Roach

Zimbabwe: Vusi Sibanda 

IPL schedule yet to be confirmed

The 2009 season of the IPL will be held between April 10 and May 24 but the schedule of matches hasn't been fixed yet because the general elections in India are likely to be held during the same period.

"The [IPL] dates are April 10 to May 24," IPL commissioner Lalit Modi said. "The problem we have is the dates for national election haven't been announced yet. It's become extremely difficult. For example, if there's a game scheduled in Delhi and there is counting or polling on that day, then we necessarily can't have a match on that day.

"This has a big impact on us because we can't hold ticket sales, we can't block anything, in terms of logistics: hotels, rooms and, airlines. We have a tentative schedule, and we're going by that schedule, and taking enough precautions to ensure we are able to overcome."

On the IPL Radar

Interesting names from a preliminary official auction list 

• Australia: Brad Haddin, Michael Clarke, Nathan Hauritz, Stuart Clark, Brad Hogg, Beau Casson, Jason Krejza and Shaun Tait.
• England: Kevin Pietersen, Andrew Flintoff, Paul Collingwood, Owais Shah, Stuart Broad, Samit Patel, Shaun Udal, Darren Gough, Ryan Sidebottom, Ravi Bopara, Monty Panesar, Robert Key, James Foster.
• South Africa: Gulam Bodi, Charl Langeveldt, JP Duminy, Paul Harris.
• Pakistan: Asim Kamal, Yasir Hameed.
• New Zealand: Mark Gillespie, Tim Southee, Jesse Ryder, Jeetan Patel.
• Bangladesh: Shakib Al Hasan, Mashrafe Mortaza.
• Sri Lanka: Thilan Thushara, Nuwan Kulasekara, Jehan Mubarak, Malinga Bandara, Upul Tharanga.
• West Indies: Darren Sammy, Andre Fletcher.