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.