Australia's cricketers are expecting to get clearance soon to play in the lucrative Twenty20 Indian Premier League (IPL) following the postponement of their tour of Pakistan, the players' body said. Most of Australia's top players signed contracts to join the IPL but would have been forced to miss the inaugural series, starting next month, had the Pakistan tour gone ahead. This month's 30-day tour was postponed because of security concerns following a series of suicide bombings. Cricket Australia (CA) is yet to make a formal decision on whether the players can participate in the league but the national players' union said they should be allowed. “I don't think there will be a problem,” Australian Cricketers' Association chief executive Paul Marsh told the Australian Associated Press on Thursday.Zaheer to miss SA series India's pace spearhead Zaheer Khan on Thursday opted out of the upcoming home Test series against South Africa, saying he was not fully fit for top class cricket. Khan, 29, has not played for India since the first Test against Australia in Melbourne in December due to an ankle injury and underwent rehabilitation at a Johannesburg sports medicine centre. “I feel I am not yet ready for international cricket,” the left-arm seamer said. “I have started bowling but I have been asked by doctors not to push it. “One of the reasons I am not ready for Tests matches is because I have to bowl 30-35 overs across five days. Doctors have advised me to start with one-dayers and club games.” South Africa arrives in India later this month for three Tests in Chennai (March 26-30), Ahmedabad (April 3-7) and Kanpur (April 11-15).Lanka leaves for Windies Sri Lanka left for a month-long tour of the West Indies on Thursday with captain Mahela Jayawardene determined to win his country's first Test match on Caribbean soil. “We are obviously looking to win the Test series and we stand a good chance of doing that,” Jayawardene said ahead of the 15-man squad's departure. He said the tour will provide Sri Lanka with an opportunity to establish a regular Test opening pair following the retirements of Sanath Jayasuriya and Marvan Atapattu. __
