Clarke to play for Pune in IPL

New Delhi - Australia's Test and one-day captain Michael Clarke will play for the Sourav Ganguly-led Pune Warriors in this year's Indian Premier League from April 4-May 27.

The announcement was made through a news release on Wednesday in which team officials termed Clarke as "one of the world's best cricketers" and hoped he would boost the team's prospects during its second year in the IPL.

Clarke, who has played 80 Tests, 212 one-dayers and 34 Twenty20 internationals, had shunned the IPL during the first four seasons.

Pune is without regular captain Yuvraj Singh, who is battling cancer. South African batsman Graeme Smith, Australian leg-spinner Steve Smith and Sri Lankan all-rounder Angelo Mathews are other prominent foreign players in the Pune team.