IPL shrinks the list of auctioned players
IPL has cut down 56 players in its auction list for the fourth edition to be held in the summer of 2011. Initially it was expected that 416 cricketers would be auctioned; however the number has now been reduced to 350. Interestingly enough the base prices
of Saurav Ganguly and VVS Laxman have also been increased. It is imperative to note that all those players who have made it to the top 3 price bands of the initial list have been retained by the BCCI. The auction is scheduled to take place on January 8 and
9, 2011.
Brian Lara and http://www.senore.com/Cricket/Adam-Gilchrist-c918 are expected to make a comeback and both the players have been placed in the highest base price bracket of US $ 400,000. Ganguly has also been pushed up to the highest price bracket after being promoted from the 200,000 $ category.
On the other hand, star batsman http://www.senore.com/Cricket/VVS-Laxman-c2772, who scored a match winning 96 at Durban, has hiked up to the 300,000 $ category.
It is customary in IPL that the base price is left to the discretion of the player to choose for himself. Saurav Ganguly and VVS Laxman are in fact not the only players to have raised their base prices. http://www.senore.com/Cricket/Anil-Kumble-c44737 had previously changed
their base price from 200,000 to 400,000. The IPL official said that the practice of changing the price brackets has been there in all the editions of the IPL with the board only setting the band of reserve prices.
However, one of the franchise officials had a different view point regarding the matter. He said, “Ganguly might have understood that there are not many franchises willing to even consider him. But to my knowledge one of the franchises has already assured
him that they will buy him out. So, if there is only one franchise willing to buy but assuring him why not hike his price then. Probably that made Ganguly hike his price.”
IPL auctions have, however, depicted that the base prices are not reflective of the amount that the franchise is willing to pay for a player. Often franchises have bought the players for much more than their base price. For instance, http://www.senore.com/Cricket/Ishant-Sharma-c64566 was listed
at the 2008 auction for 150,000 $ but was eventually bought for 950,000 $. Similarly, Matthew Hayden was originally priced at 250,000 $ but booked for 375,000 $.
According to the IPL official, "With the requirement of each franchise minimal, virtually more than half of these players in the auction list will not attract any attention.”
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