Michael Clarke, the Australia skipper, is being considered as "one of the options" to fill the 11th and last overseas players' slot at Pune Warriors for the fifth season of the IPL. It understands that the franchise and player have had initial talks but there has been no constructive development. Clarke has always been firm in his prioritization of international Test cricket above domestic Twenty20 competitions. That added to the fact that he is presently injured and will be unavailable till the end of April due to Australia's tour of the West Indies has made the situation uncertain.
"Clarke is contemplating," a source privy to the discussions said. "He is one of the options to replace the absent Yuvraj Singh." Sourav Ganguly, the Warriors mentor and senior player, was quoted in the Kolkata newspaper, the Telegraph, as saying the franchise was close to signing Clarke. "We're on the verge of signing Clarke. However, he will be available from May," Ganguly was quoted as saying by the paper at a public function in Kolkata on Wednesday. But the Warriors' officials declined to comment on the issue.
Clarke had, in 2009, pulled out of the IPL auction, citing Australia's busy schedule, and has never played in the competition. He also retired from Twenty20 internationals in January 2011 in order to focus on ODIs and Tests. He is currently improving from a left hamstring injury, which ruled him out of the third final of the Commonwealth Bank Series and the one-day series in the West Indies. The five-match ODI series, which starts on March 16, will be followed instantly by two Twenty20s before the three-Test Frank Worrell Trophy is played between April 7 to 27.
"Clarke is contemplating," a source privy to the discussions said. "He is one of the options to replace the absent Yuvraj Singh." Sourav Ganguly, the Warriors mentor and senior player, was quoted in the Kolkata newspaper, the Telegraph, as saying the franchise was close to signing Clarke. "We're on the verge of signing Clarke. However, he will be available from May," Ganguly was quoted as saying by the paper at a public function in Kolkata on Wednesday. But the Warriors' officials declined to comment on the issue.
Clarke had, in 2009, pulled out of the IPL auction, citing Australia's busy schedule, and has never played in the competition. He also retired from Twenty20 internationals in January 2011 in order to focus on ODIs and Tests. He is currently improving from a left hamstring injury, which ruled him out of the third final of the Commonwealth Bank Series and the one-day series in the West Indies. The five-match ODI series, which starts on March 16, will be followed instantly by two Twenty20s before the three-Test Frank Worrell Trophy is played between April 7 to 27.
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