Michael Clarke sits out IPL for rare long break No to IPL: Michael Clarke. Michael Clarke is the latest Australian player to forgo a payday in the Indian Premier League, knocking back the opportunity to enter next month's auction to take a four-month break from cricket. The Australian captain leaves for South Africa with most of the Test squad on Wednesday for the three-match series against Graeme Smith's world No.1 team starting at Centurion on February 12. And on the back of a home summer in which Australia won the Ashes 5-0 and reclaimed the No.1 ranking in one-day cricket with a 4-1 series triumph over England, Clarke is intent on freshening his mind and body for the team's two major objectives next year: the 2015 World Cup and the defence of the Ashes in England. The 32-year-old does not play Twenty20 internationals any more but due to his profile, marketing potential and captaincy skills could have generated interest at the IPL auction on February 12. But, like Test fast bowler Ryan Harris, who has also opted out of the lucrative seven-week tournament to have surgery on a troublesome knee, Clarke wants to use this year's lighter schedule for a long overdue rest. Mindful of the arduous international commitments ahead - Australia has a jam-packed 18 months in front of it starting with October's Test and one-day series against Pakistan in the United Arab Emirates - it is a rare opportunity for Clarke to get away from the game for a significant length of time. Rather than making a quick buck in the IPL - with an estimated income of $6 million a year he isn't short on money anyway - the ICC Cricketer of the Year is instead likely to work on fitness and keep on top of his long-running back problem during his hiatus. As recently as last year's tour of England there was speculation about how long Clarke would continue to play international cricket. And while he may not have attracted one of the highest price tags at the IPL auction, his decision to not even test the market is a smart political move, another indication his focus is on national duties for the forseeable future. Clarke played the 2012 IPL with Pune Warriors and was due to link up with the now-defunct franchise again last year before withdrawing when a flare-up of his back condition forced him to miss a Test, the fourth against India in Delhi, through injury for the first time in his career. While Clarke will not feature as IPL teams vie for nominated players, England's Kevin Pietersen will reportedly be among the star names up for grabs. According to The Guardian, Pietersen has the blessing of the England and Wales Cricket Board to play in the first five weeks of the IPL before having to return home a week before its one-day series against Sri Lanka starts in May. A host of Australians are tipped to feature heavily at the auction. Mitchell Johnson could fetch in excess of $US1million ($1.12million), while another left-arm quick, Mitchell Starc, is expected to be a sought-after newcomer after sitting out the IPL last year to prepare for the Ashes. Starc has not played a match at the elite level for five months due to injury but has a fine Twenty20 international record and is the subject of interest from at least three franchises.