Sixty-six players will be hoping for a chance to play in the lucrative Indian Premier League with the auction for the 2010 season taking place in Mumbai today.

There will be a large number who are left disappointed though, with no more than 12 berths free to be taken with the eight IPL franchises.

Each franchise has a total purse of 750,000 US dollars (around £460,000) but most teams have only one available slot which means they could spend the entire amount on just one player.

The Royal Challengers Bangalore and the Mumbai Indians have already expressed interest in West Indies batsman Kieron Pollard, who caught the eye during the Champions League last year, while New Zealand's Shane Bond is expected to be bought by either the Delhi Daredevils or the Kolkata Knight Riders.

While the likes of Trinidad and Tobago's Lendl Simmons, Australia's Brad Haddin and Phil Hughes plus Sri Lanka's Thisara Perera are also likely to be the most sought after, a major talking point could be what happens to the 11-strong Pakistani contingent.

Pakistan's players were kept out the IPL in South Africa last year due to political upheaval between the two Asian neighbours following the Mumbai terror attacks and all 11 in tomorrow's auction could remain unsold due to continuing simmering tensions.

All-rounder Shahid Afridi, whose stock has soared since Pakistan's victory in the World Twenty20 last June, is hopeful of another stint in the IPL.

"I'm looking forward to playing in the IPL and if it is my destiny I will play in India," Afridi said.

Afridi played for the Deccan Chargers in the inaugural edition but was released last year.

The IPL's chief operating officer Sundar Raman said he expected aggressive bidding.

"The Pakistan players are interesting and the Australians add excitement," he said.

"I hope to see a lot of them playing in the IPL this season."

Of the eight English players in the auction, Middlesex batsman Eoin Morgan, who was left out of England's Test team for the series against Bangladesh, stands the best chance of being snapped up due to his availability for the entire season.

All players bought would serve out a one-year contract which also includes this year's Champions League.

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