Ryan Harris opts against IPL stint

Australia fast bowler Ryan Harris will not be entering the IPL 2014 auction, instead opting to undergo knee surgery at the end of his team's upcoming tour of South Africa.

Australia tour South Africa for three Tests and three T20s between mid-February and mid-March. Harris, 34, who was one of the keys to Australia crushing England on their way to regaining the Ashes over the past couple of months, requires a clean-up operation for a lingering knee complaint, and is likely to be out of action for some time after that while he heals.

So, he is unlikely to be fit for the IPL in April-May. His red-hot form in the Ashes - he was second on the wickets charts with 22 scalps at 19.31 - meant he was likely to have been on the radar of some of the IPL franchises.

The deadline for players to submit their names for the IPL auction, which is set for February 12 and 13, is January 24. Previously, Harris had been part of the Kings XI Punjab and Deccan Chargers squads.

Following the South Africa Tests, Australia are not scheduled to play any other long-format games till the series against Pakistan in the UAE in the second half of the year.