Ganguly Calls Time on IPL

Former India cricket captain Sourav Ganguly has decided not to play in next year's Indian Premier League (IPL) and to retire from the game.

Ganguly, 40, said that to continue playing would be "very tough for the body".

Considered one of India's most successful captains, Ganguly quit international cricket in 2008 but continued playing in the IPL.

He scored more than 18,500 runs in Tests and one-day internationals.

"I had a wonderful time playing in the IPL for five seasons. It gave me a chance to keep playing top-class cricket even after quitting international cricket. But I can't go on forever," Ganguly told The Times of India.

He was contracted to play next year for the Pune Warriors.

After retiring from international cricket he continued to play in tournaments such as the IPL and Ranji Trophy for his home state West Bengal.

Ganguly's decision will bring to a close the former captain's 21-year career, during which he led India to the 2003 World Cup final, where they were beaten by Australia.

Wisden ranked him the sixth greatest one-day international batsman of all time, behind Viv Richards, Sachin Tendulkar, Brian Lara, Dean Jones and Michael Bevan.

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Ganguly Suggests Clarke IPL Bound

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.

Australia's tour of the West Indies means Clarke's availability will be limited.

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.