No time to rest for Australia's World Cup stars
Melbourne, March 30 (IANS) Australia's cricketers might be celebrating their World Cup triumph, but they have very little time for recuperation after a gruelling 44-day tournament as a bulk of the stars head to India in less than a weeks time to participate in the Indian Premier League(IPL).
The cash-rich tournament starts in Kolkata on April 8. Australia beat New Zealand by seven wickets in the World Cup final at the Melbourne Cricket Ground on Sunday.
Eleven of Australia's 15 World Cup squad members will arrive in India for the eighth edition of the world's biggest Twenty20 competition, the exceptions being Michael Clarke, Brad Haddin, Mitchell Marsh and Xavier Doherty, reports Cricket Australia on Monday.
There will be 25 Australian players (former and current) in the IPL this year while eight Aussies will take up coaching positions, including Ricky Ponting (Mumbai Indians), Tom Moody (Sunrisers Hyderabad) and Trevor Bayliss (Kolkata Knight Riders), who all take on roles as head coach.
The IPL wraps up on May 24 before Australia's Test players head to the West Indies for a two-match series against the Caribbean.
Australians in 2015 IPL:
Chennai Super Kings: Mike Hussey, Andrew Tye, Andy Bichel (bowling coach), Steve Rixon (fielding coach)
Delhi Daredevils: Nathan Coulter-Nile, Gurinder Sandhu, Travis Head, Marcus Stoinis
Kings XI Punjab: George Bailey, Mitchell Johnson, Glenn Maxwell, Shaun Marsh, Joe Dawes (bowling coach)
Kolkata Knight Riders: Pat Cummins, Brad Hogg, Trevor Bayliss (head coach)
Mumbai Indians: Josh Hazlewood, Aaron Finch, Aiden Blizzard, Ricky Ponting (head coach)
Rajasthan Royals: Shane Watson, James Faulkner, Steve Smith, Kane Richardson, Ben Cutting
Royal Challengers Bangalore: Mitchell Starc, Nic Maddinson, Sean Abbott, Trent Woodhill (batting and fielding coach)
Sunrisers Hyderabad: David Warner, Moises Henriques, Tom Moody (head coach), Simon Helmot (assistant coach)