The Indian Premier League (IPL) auction is the biggest of its kind in the cricketing fraternity. Unheard of three years ago, the IPL auctions are keenly followed by cricketers and fans alike. The third edition of the IPL had 66 players being auctioned amongst eight franchises, with a maximum of two slots per franchisee.
The auction process is also quite interesting. The auctions are preceded by the IPL Trading Window wherein teams trade players amongst each other. The trading prods team owners to gauge the skills missing from within the team which they try to acquire through the auctions.
In other words, the purchase decision is based on a franchisee’s need for certain skills – be it a strike bowler, a hard-hitting batsman, a wicketkeeper, batsman or an all-rounder. With thousands of dollars involved, team owners chart out strategies and decide beforehand the type of player they require to bring balance to their cricketing outfit.
IPL Auction Three included players from all major cricketing nations as well as not so major cricketing nations such as Canada and Ireland. Prior to the auctions, the Pakistani and Australian players were apparently in great demand. However, this year, the franchises chose not to utilise the services of the Pakistani players for various reasons. While the franchises cited ‘non-availability’ of the players, the Pakistani government termed it as a ‘conspiracy’ against its players. A number of Pakistani sports and government officials hit back at the IPL and the franchises for not having purchased a single Pakistani player. It was evident from the auctions that the decision to neglect the Pakistani players had been taken in collusion and was not a standalone one, as none of the IPL teams bid for these players.
While Pakistani authorities and the media have been weaving conspiracy theories around the event, there is a rationale behind the exclusion. The previous two editions saw many players leave the IPL after playing a few matches due to international commitments. Teams were left stranded and with no option but to either make last minute changes or to buy the services of a lesser skilled player for the remaining duration of the tournament.
For instance, most Australian players left the first edition of the IPL early due to national commitments, while in the second edition, the Australians joined after having finished their national duties. The same would have applied to Pakistani players as Australia was playing against Pakistan during the second IPL.
The auction process is also quite interesting. The auctions are preceded by the IPL Trading Window wherein teams trade players amongst each other. The trading prods team owners to gauge the skills missing from within the team which they try to acquire through the auctions.
In other words, the purchase decision is based on a franchisee’s need for certain skills – be it a strike bowler, a hard-hitting batsman, a wicketkeeper, batsman or an all-rounder. With thousands of dollars involved, team owners chart out strategies and decide beforehand the type of player they require to bring balance to their cricketing outfit.
IPL Auction Three included players from all major cricketing nations as well as not so major cricketing nations such as Canada and Ireland. Prior to the auctions, the Pakistani and Australian players were apparently in great demand. However, this year, the franchises chose not to utilise the services of the Pakistani players for various reasons. While the franchises cited ‘non-availability’ of the players, the Pakistani government termed it as a ‘conspiracy’ against its players. A number of Pakistani sports and government officials hit back at the IPL and the franchises for not having purchased a single Pakistani player. It was evident from the auctions that the decision to neglect the Pakistani players had been taken in collusion and was not a standalone one, as none of the IPL teams bid for these players.
While Pakistani authorities and the media have been weaving conspiracy theories around the event, there is a rationale behind the exclusion. The previous two editions saw many players leave the IPL after playing a few matches due to international commitments. Teams were left stranded and with no option but to either make last minute changes or to buy the services of a lesser skilled player for the remaining duration of the tournament.
For instance, most Australian players left the first edition of the IPL early due to national commitments, while in the second edition, the Australians joined after having finished their national duties. The same would have applied to Pakistani players as Australia was playing against Pakistan during the second IPL.
Also, English players like Kevin Pietersen and Andrew Flintoff were the highest paid cricketers last year, but were unable to play for the entire duration of the tournament for their respective teams.
The franchises seemed to have picked up cues from the past tournaments. Nearly all players acquired this year are available to the franchises for the entire duration of the IPL. For instance, the acquisition of Damien Martyn and Adam Voges by Rajasthan Royals seemed to be based on this sound logic. Both players have no international commitments and have been cleared by Cricket Australia to play in the IPL.
It is apparent that the decision by the IPL teams was based largely on corporate strategies, rather than only on the political situation prevalent between the two countries.
The losers here are not the Pakistani players but the IPL teams. Just like last year, the entire Pakistan team will have the time to prepare for the upcoming Twenty20 World Cup. Last year the Pakistani players were not involved in the IPL which gave them the opportunity to bond with each other and play as a team. The other squads were visibly lacking in team spirit and the brotherly bonding that cricket teams are so famous for was missing from most outfits.
Pakistan won the Twenty20 World Cup last year and seems to be a favorite this year as well. As far as the IPL franchises are concerned, they seem content with their purchases and will be looking forward to seeing their new acquisitions in action in IPL Three.
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