Australian talent missing from IPL action

The Indian Premier League, which is set to commence on Saturday in South Africa, will be depleted of some star Australian players due to injury and national commitments.

Former Australian veterans Shane Warne, Adam Gilchrist, Matthew Hayden and Glenn McGrath will still be keenly sought-after stars for their respective franchises, but exciting all-rounder Shane Watson - who was named Player of the Tournament last year - will be absent, at least, for the first half of the tournament this year.

The 26-year-old Watson, who scored 472 runs at an average of 42 in the IPL last year, has returned from injury and was named in the Australian limited-overs squad for a series against Pakistan in Dubai and Abu Dhabi beginning next Wednesday - four days after the IPL starts.

Another key player who made waves after playing for his Punjab franchise in the previous edition is Shaun Marsh. Marsh, who subsequently became a regular in the Australian one day international squad after his stint in the IPL, won the Orange Cap last year for being the highest run-scorer of the tournament. He won’t be playing this year on account of injury.

Also missing will be all-rounder Andrew Symonds, who was out of the Australian lineup for several months until his recall for the Pakistan series, and fast bowler Brett Lee, who was initially named in squad to play Pakistan but was later ruled out and replaced by Doug Bollinger.

Lee, at least, will continue to train in South Africa with his Indian Premier League franchise, Kings XI Punjab, to further his rehabilitation from ankle and foot operations. But if he's cleared to play, it's expected that it will be for Australia before he sees any action for his IPL franchise.

The last of the Australian players that will be missed from action, when the matches get underway on Saturday, is promising fast bowler Shaun Tait who was signed to play for the winning franchise, Rajasthan Royals, this year.

I need to get away and rest: Ponting

Also among the absent Australians is Test skipper Ricky Ponting and dependable middle-order batsman Michael Hussey who have opted to rest in order to prepare for the Ashes series against England in July.

Michael Clarke, who will captain Australia in Ponting's absence against Pakistan, and pace bowler Mitchell Johnson, will also miss this year's IPL. Clarke and Johnson did not play in the inaugural IPL edition either and were not part of the nominations for the player auction earlier this year.

Ponting is expected back as skipper for World twenty20 in June and the Ashes.

"Right at the moment I feel like I need to get away and have a bit of a break, so that's the way it is," said Ponting, who was given a release for the 2009 season by the Kolkata Knight Riders franchise which is coached by ex-Australia coach John Buchanan.

Lee, a 76-Test veteran, is pushing to reclaim his place in the Australian attack for the Ashes series. So IPL's loss might be Australia's gain for the crucial series against England. He joined the Kings XI Punjab squad in South Africa to practice because wet weather in Sydney was limiting his time in the nets.
"Now that he's here in South Africa with his IPL team, when he is ready to bowl again there'll be no excuses for weather or anything," Ponting said of Lee. "He should be able to get a lot of bowling done and when he's fit enough and ready to play, hopefully he'll be playing for us because that's what he wants. We need to see him back in Australian colors."

The eight-team, 59-match IPL tournament, switched to South Africa from India, begins Saturday with Mumbai Indians taking on Chennai Super Kings in the opening match.