IPL players' auction scheduled for Feb. 20

MUMBAI (Reuters) - The Indian Premier League (IPL) players' auction will be held on Feb. 20 with all Australian contracted players available for purchase by the eight franchises, the Indian board said on Saturday.

On Thursday the Sydney Morning Herald said the 16 Australian players were in danger of losing their contracts because of a sponsorship clash between the IPL and Cricket Australia.

"Everybody from Cricket Australia, from the Australian cricket players' association and IPL are confident that the Australians who are not playing in the Pakistan series will play in India," IPL chairman Lalit Modi told reporters at the end of a two-day meeting with franchise representatives.

Australia's Pakistan tour next month clashes with the inaugural edition of the lucrative IPL Twenty20 league which gets underway on April 18.

More than 80 players will feature in the auction for the IPL, set up to counter an unofficial Indian Twenty20 league which began late last year.