Michael Clarke's staunch resistance to the Indian Premier League may be nearing its end, with Pune captain Sourav Ganguly suggesting his side is close to signing the Australia skipper.
Clarke has been one of the highest profile cricketers to avoid the riches of the IPL for all four seasons of the Twenty20 competition.
He didn't nominate for this season's auction, but the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) has given the green light for Pune to sign players outside this method.
Indian daily newspaper The Telegraph reported Ganguly was talking up his franchise's chances of signing Clarke at a promotional event.
"We're on the verge of signing (Michael) Clarke ... however, he will be available from May," Ganguly said.
The fifth season of the IPL starts on April 5, while the Caribbean Test series is scheduled to end on April 27.
The Pune Warriors will have a total of seven matches left in the IPL's regular season after April 27.
Australia's next assignment following the West Indies is a handful of one-day fixtures in the UK, starting with a match against Ireland on June 23.
Clarke spoke about the possibility of taking part in this year's IPL back in October 2010, noting it would be strong preparation for the 2012 World T20 tournament in Sri Lanka.
However, he later retired from T20 internationals in January last year.
