The Big Auction

Xavi6

The wheeling and dealing has taken place with the new Indian super league on the horizon. Each team will be made up of 'superstars' and young up and coming talent. Some seriously big bukcs involved for the sport, though som eplayers went for a lot less than expected -

http://wwos.ninemsn.com.au/article.aspx?id=301323

Roy 'bought' for $A1.47 million

Australian allrounder Andrew Symonds has been sold to Indian Premier League (IPL) franchise Hyderabad for an incredible $A1.47 million at the player auction in Mumbai.

Bollywood stars and business moguls reached ever deeper into their pockets as the world's best cricketers went under the hammer at the auction for the upcoming IPL Twenty20 competition.

About $A43.54 million was spent buying up the rights to 77 players, with consortiums of the eight bidding franchises huddled in groups, haggling over how much they could spend on their new toys.

The top prices were cornered by Indian and Australian players - ranging from Indian skipper MS Dhoni's $A1.63 million, $A1.47 million to Australian allrounder Andrew Symonds and $A1.03 million to Indian bowler Ishant Sharma and $A979,500 to Australia's Brett Lee.

The figures took some administrators by surprise.

"The market is determining the players' prices - it's nothing else but that. That's how a free market economy flows," said IS Bindra, IPL governing member and a former president of the Board of Control for Cricket in India who was inside the auction room blocked off to the media.

"The process is really very exciting. I wish you could have seen it live," he said after the 'marquee players' were bought within minutes of bids opening.

"This is a milestone for Indian cricket."

So frenzied was the bidding, that it was only once the auction began to peter out that owners could reflect on some extraordinary distortions in prices.

How is it that Australian captain Ricky Ponting could only fetch $A435,350 - a tad over his reserve price - while his new Kolkata teammate and fringe Australian international David Hussey got $A734,600?

Who could explain how India great Anil Kumble went to Bangalore for $A544,000, only a touch more than compatriot all-rounder Yusuf Pathan, with only one international under his belt, at $A517,000?

Is India's Gautham Gambir really worth more than Australia's experienced big-hitter Adam Gilchrist?

"The bidding's been quite fierce," IPL chairman Lalit Modi said.

"Some (players) have gone surprisingly low and some have gone high. It's not for me to judge, it's up to the team owners."

He said cricketer's personalities as much as their skill could have warped the spending.

"It could be the quality of cricket, what they will add to the team. Maybe the owners are looking at the glamour they will bring, looking at endorsements."

One of Bollywood's biggest stars Shah Rukh Khan - part owner of the eastern Kolkata team - sat at an auction table near his wife Gauri and former India captain Sourav Ganguly who is listed as an "icon" or top-end player.

Another slice of glamour was provided by Bollywood's Preity Zinta, part owner of the northern Mohali team with Mumbai businessman Ness Wadia, who has interests in textiles, real estate and retail.

"We have Brett Lee, (Kumar) Sangakarra and (Mahela) Jayawardena," she said.

"I'm really excited. Wish us luck."

The teams:

Bangalore - Rahul Dravid (icon), Anil Kumble (Ind), Jacques Kallis (SAf), Zaheer Khan (Ind), Mark Boucher (SAf), Cameron White (Aus).

Chennai SuperKings - Mahendra Singh Dhoni (Ind), Muttiah Muralitharan (SL), Matthew Hayden (Aus), Jacob Oram (NZ), Parthiv Patel (Ind), Albie Morkel (SAf), Joginder Sharma (Ind).

Delhi DareDevils - Virender Sehwag (icon), Daniel Vettori (NZ), Stephen Fleming (NZ), Shoaib Malik (Pak), Mohammad Asif (Pak), Dinesh Karthik (Ind), AB de Villiers (SAf), Farveez Maharoof (SL), Tillakaratne Dilshan (SL).

Hyderabad - Andrew Symonds (Aus), Adam Gilchrist (Aus), Herschelle Gibbs (SAf), Shahid Afridi (Pak), Scott Styris (NZ), VVS Laxman (Ind), Rohit Sharma (Ind), Chamara Silva (SL), RP Singh (Ind), Chaminda Vaas (SL), Nuwan Zoysa (SL).

Jaipur - Shane Warne (Aus), Graeme Smith (SAf), Younis Khan (Pak), Kamran Akmal (Pak), Yusuf Pathan (Ind), Mohammad Kaif (Ind), Munaf Patel (Ind), Justin Langer (Aus).

Kolkata - Sourav Ganguly (icon), Shoaib Akhtar (Pak), Ricky Ponting (Aus), Brendon McCullum (NZ), Chris Gayle (WI), Ajit Agarkar (Ind), David Hussey (Aus), Ishant Sharma (Ind), Murali Kartik (Ind), Umar Gul (Pak), Tatenda Taibu (Zim).

Mohali - Yuvraj Singh (icon), Mahela Jayawardene (SL), Kumar Sangakkara (SL), Brett Lee (Aus), Sreesanth (Ind), Irfan Pathan (Ind), Ramesh Powar (Ind), Piyush Chawla (Ind), Simon Katich (Ind), Ramnaresh Sarwan (WI).

Mumbai - Sachin Tendulkar (icon), Sanath Jayasuriya (SL), Harbhajan Singh (Ind), Shaun Pollock (SAf), Robin Uthappa (Ind), Lasith Malinga (SL), Dilhara Fernando (SL), Loots Bosman (SAf).

mike2084

I know it's all about money, but it should be good!! Hope Sky Sports or someone like them shows it.

Bubs101

Michael Walsh wrote: »

I know it's all about money, but it should be good!! Hope Sky Sports or someone like them shows it.

I think it's actually a fiendish way for the Indian Cricket Board to get the younger players some experience with playing with the best ever. Isn't there some rule that 4 of the squad have to be u-22 indians. Very clever move on their part

Memnoch

Finally cricket players can see the amount of money that top players in other sports enjoy. This can only be good for the future of cricket.

TrueDub

Memnoch wrote: »

Finally cricket players can see the amount of money that top players in other sports enjoy. This can only be good for the future of cricket.

Good for the top players, you mean, and for the people who want to make money out of the sport. Good for the future of cricket, though? I doubt it.

Memnoch

TrueDub wrote: »

Good for the top players, you mean, and for the people who want to make money out of the sport. Good for the future of cricket, though? I doubt it.

A lot of the players who got big money can hardly be considered TOP players, eg. David Hussey et al. More money in the sport means more media coverage, and more youngsters aspiring to play in it etc etc.

I'm sick of all the whining about the IPL when there is nothing concrete to suggest it will harm the game in any way. 20/20 cricket has shown to be hugely popular and bring in the younger audience around the world. The ICC did it's best to ignore 20/20 for as long as they could. If they had put something similar in place themselves this situatino wouldn't have arised to begin with.

If the IPL can do the same in India as 20/20 has proven in Australia and Engalnd then it is guarenteeing a future for the sport. It's high time cricket had something like the EPL, and even then this isn't it because this is only a 40 day tournament squashed into the international calender.

DMC

Michael Walsh wrote: »

Hope Sky Sports or someone like them shows it.

Setanta have it.

Setanta snaffles IPL cricket UK rights

http://www.guardian.co.uk/media/2008/feb/25/sportsrights.television

* John Plunkett
* guardian.co.uk,
* Monday February 25 2008

Setanta Sports has bought the UK TV rights to the star-studded Indian Premier League, the first Twenty20 cricket competition of its kind featuring some of the sport's biggest names.

The pay-TV broadcaster has signed a five-year deal for the multimillion-pound annual competition, which begins on April 18.

Setanta will show all 59 fixtures in the first season, which will begin at 9.30am, 1.30pm or 2.30pm UK time. It will also repeat the games in peak time. The final is due to take place on June 1.

The IPL will feature some of the game's most famous names, including Sachin Tendulkar, Ricky Ponting, Andrew Symonds and Mahendra Dhoni.

The Setanta director of sport, Trevor East, said: "The Indian Premier League is going to be massive. We're absolutely thrilled to acquire these rights and add another major sport to Setanta's programme line-up.

"Twenty20 cricket has been a phenomenal success and this tournament, with all its world-class players, is sure to capture the imagination of sports fans young and old.

"I firmly believe the IPL will become a highlight of the international sporting calendar for years to come. That's why we've shown our commitment to it by signing a five-year deal."

Seamus O'Brien, the president and chief executive officer of the IPL's global media rights holder, World Sport Group, added: "We are delighted to have concluded this landmark deal with Setanta, the UK's fastest growing sports network, on its first major international cricket property.

"The IPL, which is set to become one of the top sports leagues in the world, featuring some of the finest international stars of the modern game, is a natural fit for Setanta, itself the rising star of the UK sports broadcast market."

This will be the first time Setanta has shown live cricket – although the broadcaster has broadcast highlights before.

Setanta Sports is available on subscription via Sky Digital, Virgin Media, Freeview, BT Vision and Tiscali.

The first Indian Premier League will not feature any English stars because it clashes with the start of the domestic cricket season here.

However, that is expected to change in the future, possibly as early as the league's second year.

The game's biggest stars are being paid huge amounts of money to take part, with the eight teams involved in the tournament bidding more than £20m in an "auction" last week for the players they want most.

A shorter version of the 50-over one day international game, Twenty20 has become a global phenomenon that has changed the way cricket is played around the world.

It remains to be seen what impact it will have on traditional one-day and Test match cricket.

A recent Guardian editorial said the Indian Premier League's first player auction "simply isn't cricket".

DMC

My 2c on the IPL...

I'm not entirely comfortable with the IPL, but yet, I will perform a wait and see approach. After all, Kerry Packer and "official" cricket lasted 3 season before peace broke out, and in effect, a compromise where Packer won. We'll see where it is in a few years time.

I don't think it will kill ODI's or Test matches, but I do think it will destroy the ICC. The Future Tours Programme is doomed.

For players, we've seen in soccer in recent years where club comes first, and country comes down the line. People have to remember that money comes first, "official" cricket in the 70's were aghast that players would forfeit the right to play for their country to go to Packer, so for commentators and writers to say that country first is the highest honour are wrong and deluded. Careers are short, this is a fast buck. No brainer.

Twenty20 was designed in England to be an aid for counties to make money, to make them stand on their own feet. Initially, there was no interest in making it an international game, I kinda wished it remained that way.

mike2084

DMC wrote: »

Setanta have it.

Setanta snaffles IPL cricket UK rights

Thanks for that looking forward to it.