Ricky Ponting and Adam Gilchrist join Indian Premier league (IPL)
October 30, 2007 • Indian Premier League, News
The BCCI’s IPL got three more big names today with the signing of Australian skipper Ricky Ponting, Pakistani All-rounder Shahid Afridi and the Aussie keeper Adam Gilchrist with their brand of Twenty20 cricket league the Indian Premier League.
With the inclusion of the big two the total strength of foreign players signed till now has grown to 44. Which includes 15 Aussies and 7 South Africans. Shahid Afridi joins fellow Pakistanis Mohammad Yousuf and Shoaib Akhtar as the third cricketer from the neighbouring country.
The Aussie list includes some impressive name like Shane Warne, Glenn McGrath, Andrew Symonds, Michael Clarke, Michael Hussey, Brett Lee, Matthew Hayden, Nathan Bracken, Brad Haddin, Mitchell Johnson, Simon Katich and Jason Gillespie. But, with the inaugural Twenty20 tournament set to commence in April 2008, Most of the current Australian team mates might be unavailable as the team would be touring Pakistan and West Indies around that time.
Lalit Modi, the chairman of the IPL said that the 15 Australians would add a “new dimension” to the Indian Premier League.