Australia, Pakistan top list in HIL players' auction

After Australia, Pakistan will have the second highest number of players in the auction at 15, followed by Spain (10).

"A look at the list of players will assure the hockey fraternity that it is in for an intensely competitive event from January 5, 2013," said Hockey India secretary general and HIL chairman Narinder Batra.

"We are happy that a vast majority of the world's best players from 12 countries besides over 150 Indians have made themselves available for Hockey India League," he said.

"It will be of particular interest to hockey lovers here that, with 15 players in the auction, Pakistan is second only to Australia in terms of numbers.

"We are also pleased that Olympic champion Germany and the Olympic silver medallist the Netherlands will also be well represented in the auction," Batra added.

The inaugural HIL will be held across different cities of India from January 5 to February 3, next year. The players auction for the six-team franchise-based event will be held here on December 1.

Break-up og players (by nationality): Australia 24; Pakistan 15; Spain 10; South Africa; New Zealand and Netherlands 9 each; Malaysia 5, Germany 4, Argentina 3, Belgium, France and Poland 1 each.