Cricket Australia have banned fast bowler Shaun Tait from appearing in the Indian Premier League.
Fast bowler ousted by CA from Twenty20 spectacular
Cricket Australia have banned fast bowler Shaun Tait from appearing in the Indian Premier League.
The move has come as a result of concerns that he has not recovered from a left hamstring tear sustained two months ago.
Tait was due to play for Shane Warne's Rajasthan Royals, who begin their campaign in South Africa against Bangalore on Saturday.
Tait, who was named in Australia's 30-man squad for the ICC Twenty20 World Cup in June, was the first player chosen in the IPL draft in February.
He was signed by the defending champions for $375,000 but will receive nothing as the money is paid on a pro-rata basis for each match played in the 59-match tournament.
Rehab
"Shaun Tait won't be playing IPL," Cricket Australia spokesman Peter Young said.
"He's still working through the rehab program and it has been determined that he won't be playing IPL.
"He has a hamstring injury and there's associated issues behind the hamstring injury."
Tait's manager, Andrew McRitchie hit out at the decision, however, after an Australian newspaper quoted unnamed officials as saying he was close to full fitness.
The Weekend Australian said it understood that Tait had undergone almost two months of a radical treatment involving injections of his own blood into the problem area.
According to the paper Tait declared himself fit two weeks ago but Cricket Australia refused to give him a clean bill of health.
Being a nationally-contracted player, the 26-year-old must be cleared fit to play by the national body.
Tait joins a long list of Australians absent from the IPL tournament this year, including Shane Watson, Andrew Symonds, Brett Lee, Ricky Ponting, Michael Hussey and Michael Clarke
Watson, who scored 472 runs at an average of 42 in the tournament last year, was ruled out after he was named in the Australia squad for a series against Pakistan in Dubai and Abu Dhabi
All-rounder Symonds is also unavailable following his recall for the Pakistan series, which begins on Wednesday, after several months out of the Australian line-up.
Brett Lee was initially named in the squad to play Pakistan but was later ruled out and replaced by Doug Bollinger.
Test skipper Ponting and batsman Hussey are both being rested in preparation for the Ashes campaign against England in two months.
Clarke will also miss this year's eight-team IPL as he will captain Australia against Pakistan in Ponting's absence.
