Pietersen, Flintoff fetch record prices at IPL

England players Kevin Pietersen and Andrew Flintoff fetched $1.55 million each at the Indian Premier League auction Friday, setting a record for the highest amount paid for a player in the Twenty20 competition.

Flintoff was snapped up by Chennai Super Kings, which last year set the previous record of 1.5 million for Indian captain Mahendra Singh Dhoni. Bangalore's Royal Challengers secured Pietersen.

Bangalore's owner Vijay Mallya said he was prepared to pay more for Pietersen.

England players were not involved in the auction last year. South African J.P. Duminy was sold for $950,000 to Mumbai Indians, more than three times his reserve price.

Australia paceman Shaun Tait was the first player auctioned, going to defending champions Rajasthan Royals for $375,000. The IPL season begins on April 10.

Hayden announces retirement

Senior Australian opening batsman Matthew Hayden announced his immediate retirement from representative cricket at a press conference here on Tuesday.

Hayden's anticipated announcement at the age of 37 followed a poor run of form in Australia's recent losing Test series against India and South Africa.

The aggressive left-hander leaves after 103 Tests with 8,625 runs at a batting average of 50.74.

He hit 30 centuries, which ranks him sixth all-time behind Indian Sachin Tendulkar's 41.

"Today I'm announcing my retirement from representative cricket, effective immediately,"

Hayden told the press conference.

"I know that now is the time to move on.

"I am retiring from cricket, not from life, there is still so much that I want to achieve and contribute to the community."

Family time, cooking, fishing and spending time outdoors were among the passions Hayden said he wanted to pursue.

Hayden joins celebrated cricketers Shane Warne, Glenn McGrath, Justin Langer and Adam Gilchrist, who have retired from international cricket in the last two years.