Ponting to skip 2-week IPL stint

Australia cricket captain Ricky Ponting pulled out of a two-week stint in the Indian Premier League in May, preferring to stay fresh for the Ashes and the World Twenty20 tournament.

Ponting, who was in South Africa with the Australian team, wrote in his Friday column in The Australian newspaper that spending a two-week break with his wife Rianna and baby daughter Emmy was also a key factor.

"I have made the decision I will not play in the Indian Premier League Twenty20 competition this year," Ponting said. "My country comes first and there was no way I could give my all for Australia if I used the only two-week break we have to go and play in India.

"I could have played for two weeks in the IPL and in many ways that is not satisfactory, not for the (Kolkata) Knight Riders and not for Australian cricket either."

Ponting was expected to make a reported $150,000 for this year's IPL contract.

Australia's South African tour finishes on April 17, followed by five one-dayers against Pakistan, possibly in the United Arab Emirates.

Some Australian players will head to the IPL for a couple of weeks with their Indian franchises after the Pakistan series.

The squad will travel to England on May 31 for the World Twenty20 and the five-test series against England which starts on July 8 in Cardiff.

SYDNEY, AP