Chennai: Chennai Super Kings on Monday named a 17-member squad for their opening Indian Premier League fixture on Saturday against Kings XI Punjab at Mohali.

Former India Test bowler Laxmipathy Balaji has been omitted on fitness grounds while South African stars Makhaya Ntini and Albie Morkel would miss the tie as they are playing in their domestic pro 20 tournament.

“Both Ntini and Albie will join the team on April 26. We want a cover in case any player is injured. We don’t want to take any chances. Therefore we have an additional player,” said V.B. Chandrasekhar, director of cricketing matters of team.

In another incident, Rajasthan Royals have roped in former Australian batsman Darren Lehman as replacement for South Africa captain Graeme Smith for their first two matches. Smith had to return to turn out for Cape Cobras in the South African domestic pro 20 tournament. He will rejoin the Jaipur team on April 24, a release said.

Meanwhile, despite the ECB making it clear that it will not release centrally contracted players for the IPL, captain Michael Vaughan feels it is only a matter of time before England players join others in the twenty20 competition, another report adds from London.

“We are naive to think England players aren’t going to end up in the IPL. We will, whether it is next year or the year after,” he said.

Vaughan’s teammate Kevin Pietersen has already described ECB’s decision as “ridiculous” and his skipper supported him.

“Twenty20 is a fantastic game to play, with massive crowds, and I think all players around the world love playing in it,” Vaughan told a TV channel.

In Mumbai, former South Africa captain Shaun Pollock has said all three forms of the game — Tests, ODIs and Twenty20 — can co-exist.

“The traditional Test cricket and the 50-over game need to be preserved. I don’t think international cricket will change (with the advent of the Twenty20 format).

“All forms of the game can be accommodated,” said the retired allrounder.

Pollock, who will turn out for the Mumbai Indians, described the cash-rich IPL as an exciting concept. “I am not sure how long I will play. But this (IPL) has given players new avenues,” he said. (PTI)

SUPER KINGS SQUAD

Mahendra Singh Dhoni (captain), Stephen Fleming, Jacob Oram, Michael Hussey, Matthew Hayden, Muttiah Muralidharan, Suresh Raina, Parthiv Patel, Joginder Sharma, Vidyut Sivaramakrishnan, Anirudha Srikkanth, R. Ashwin, P. Amarnath, Shadab Jakati, Arun Karthik, S. Badrinath and Manpreet Gony