Royals send Damien Martyn home

Melbourne: Former Australian batsman Damien Martyn has been dropped from a pruned Rajasthan Royals squad after playing only one match in the Indian Premier League's third edition.

Martyn, who along with Adam Voges was the only Australian to be picked in the January auction, was bought at the behest of his friend and Rajasthan Royals skipper Shane Warne.

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"By the time you read this, I'll be heading home," Martyn wrote on his blog. "The Rajasthan Royals squad has been trimmed to 19 players and it looks like all-rounder Shane Watson might join us next week. That's the nature of professional cricket and I knew from the start what my role in the squad was and how this might happen."

Martyn scored only 19 in his match against Royal Challengers Bangalore before being dropped for the next two games.

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"I enjoyed my IPL debut last week -- and even though it wasn't the best result (19 off 24 balls) -- it's ironic that it had to be against the best bowler in the world... Dale Steyn, bowling 155kmph."

Martyn also hinted at taking up coaching. "I have enjoyed my time as a player but am looking forward to new roles around the group, like all past players, getting my notebook out, sitting in the dugout and scribbling away."