IPL prunes players' auction list

Pakistani all-rounder Shahid Afridi, Kiwi paceman Shane Bond and Caribbean batting sensation Kieron Pollard are among 51 cricketers, who have been shortlisted by the Indian Premier League for its January 19 player auction.

Ramnaresh Sarwan (West Indies), Nathan McCullum (New Zealand), Clint McKay and Doug Bollinger (Australia), Chanaka Welegedara and Nuwan Zoysa (Sri Lanka), rising Pakistani star

Umar Akmal and Yusuf Abdulla and Rory Kleinveldt (South Africa) have also made the cut.

The list includes 11 Australians, nine South Africans, eight Sri Lankans, eight West Indians, seven Pakistanis and an assortment of players from across Bangladesh, New Zealand and Zimbabwe.

The auction, to be held in Mumbai, will also feature for the first time players from Holland and Canada.

As per the guidelines set by the IPL governing council, each franchisee will have a fresh purse of $750,000 to buy players.

"The IPL had received nearly 100 entries from international players, of which the eight franchisees had short listed 60 players for the auction on January 19th and out of which only 51 have been cleared for the auction. The remaining will be featured pending NOCs from the home boards," a release from the organisers said.

The third edition of the highly popular Twenty20 event will begin on March 12.

"The enthusiasm and interest displayed by players from all around the world to participate in IPL 2010 has been truly overwhelming. I would like to welcome the players from Canada and Holland in particular and also like to wish all of the 51 cricketers all the very best," Lalit Modi, IPL chairman and commissioner, said.

Complete list of 51 cricketers:

Australia: Doug Bollinger, Brad Haddin, Phillip Hughes, Ashley Noffke, Jason Krejza, Ben Laughlin, Graham Manou, Damien Martyn, Clint McKay, Peter Siddle, Adam Voges

Bangladesh: Shakib Al Hasan

Canada: Rizwan Cheema

Holland: Ryan ten Doeschate

New Zealand: Shane Bond, Grant Elliot, Nathan McCullum, Lou Vincent

Pakistan: Mohammad Aamer, Shahid Afridi, Saeed Ajmal, Umar Akmal, Rana Naved Ul Hasan, Imran Nazir, Abdul Razzaq

South Africa: Yusuf Abdulla, Zander de Bruyn, Justin Kemp, Rory Kleinveldt, Wayne Parnell, Vernon Philander, Lonwabo Tsotsobe, Johan van der Wath, Vaughn van Jaarsveld

Sri Lanka: Thilina Kandamby, Nuwan Kulasekera, Thisara Perera, Chamara Silva, Upul Tharanga, Kaushalya Weeraratne, Chanaka Welegedara, Nuwan Zoysa

West Indies: Sulieman Benn, Darren Bravo, Daren Ganga, Wavell Hinds, Kieron Pollard, Kemar Roach, Ramnaresh Sarwan, Lendl Simmons

Zimbabwe: Murray Goodwin