Punter, Gilly to join IPL !!

Captain Ricky Ponting and retiring wicketkeeper Adam Gilchrist were on a list of 13 Australians who have agreed to join the Indian Premier League which was revealed on Tuesday.

Batsman Michael Clarke, paceman Mitchell Johnson and gloveman Brad Haddin have declined offers and did not feature on the list, released by the Australian agent for the tournament, Neil Maxwell.

The 13 players will now be available at Wednesday's player auction in Mumbai, where representatives of each of the eight IPL franchises will be present to bid.

Other Test regulars on the list include speedster Brett Lee, batsmen Michael Hussey and Matthew Hayden and all-rounder Andrew Symonds.

Nathan Bracken will also play in India, along with Cameron White, David Hussey and Simon Katich.

Shane Warne, Glenn McGrath and Justin Langer, who have all retired from international cricket, make up the 13.

Players are expected to earn the type of wages usually associated with top footballers.

"The top players, for six weeks work, could be earning, dare I say it, 70,000 to 80,000 US dollars a week, quite comfortably I'd suggest for some of those top ones," Maxwell told radio station 2KY.

"It's in the realms of the English Premier League, which for a long time players have wanted to aspire to."

Maxwell also confirmed Haddin and Johnson had chosen to focus on their international careers.

Haddin is likely to take over behind the stumps in all forms of the game for his country when Gilchrist hangs up his gloves after the Commonwealth Bank Series, which is under way in Australia.

Clarke, who took over the captaincy when Ponting was sidelined in the early stages of the CB Series, wanted to focus on his international and domestic career.

"I'm 26 years of age and I want to give myself every chance of having a long career for Australia. I just want to win the Commonwealth Bank Cup, a Pura Cup for New South Wales and take the old man fishing," he said.