October 31, 2007	Wednesday	Shawwal 18, 1428

NEW DELHI, Oct 30: Eleven Australian players led by skipper Ricky Ponting and Adam Gilchrist, as well as Pakistan all-rounder Shahid Afridi, have signed up for the inaugural Indian Premier League (IPL), organisers said on Tuesday.

Australian batsmen Matthew Hayden, Andrew Symonds and Mike Hussey and pacemen Brett Lee, Nathan Bracken and Mitchell Johnson were among those who had joined the Twenty20 league set for launch next April.

South African all rounder Loots Bosman had also been signed up in a list of 44 international players including prominent players from New Zealand, Sri Lanka and West Indies.

Promoted by the Indian board with support from other major national boards, the IPL was launched to counter an unofficial Indian Twenty20 league set to start on Nov 30.

The 44-day IPL event will feature eight franchises in the inaugural season with each squad containing 16 players.—Reuters