Harris opts out of IPL auction to focus on extending `late-blooming` Oz test career

Sydney: Veteran Australian fast bowler Ryan Harris has reportedly opted to skip the Indian Premier League (IPL) auction in order to have knee surgery and extend his late-blooming Test career as far as he can.

After an outstanding summer against England, Harris, who starred throughout the five Ashes Tests at an average of 19.31, is preparing for next month`s three-match series against world No.1 South Africa, where Australia hope to ram home their resurgence as a Test nation. According to a leading newspaper, Harris prospered despite a lingering knee complaint that requires an operation, and which has caused him to think long and hard before finally making his decision about the IPL auction on February 12, in which he could have stood to make a small fortune. The report mentioned that Harris` last IPL contract, with King`s XI Punjab, was worth 350,000 dollars a year, and given his impressive output this winter, he could well have attracted far more than that when the Indian franchises take their pick of the nominated players early next month. The report further said that even if Harris might well have been justified in grabbing a payday in the IPL and delaying surgery as this year is light on in terms of Test commitments for Australia, however, his decision to skip the tournament and go under the knife after the South Africa tour demonstrates where his priorities lie.