Money takes precedence over cricket
Posted on Feb 21, 2008 at 00:57 | Updated Feb 21, 2008 at 22:58
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New Delhi: The bidding for the inaugural Indian Premier League is a stark example of where cricket stops and business starts. While many experts and novices have been surprised at some of the figures in front of the names, this is not about the emotions of the game, where the skill or credentials of players is the denominator. It is all about who will enable the franchisees to break even, and show profit, at the earliest.
Not for nothing does an Ishant Sharma merit a tag of $ 925,000, while a VVS Laxman has to be happy with $375,000. The maths is simple – Sharma will sell more than Laxman.
A lot of people are rather taken aback with the $1.35 million that Andrew Symonds has been sold for. After all, isn’t he the most hated man in India, what with his run-in with Harbhajan Singh, the BCCI, and practically the entire nation? The operative word here, again, is ‘most’. Popularity need not always be the reason, even notoriety draws a lot of attention. Trust me, more people come to see Symonds than many other players.
Conversely, the same controversy also gives Bhajji a pretty hefty tag of $800,000.
It is somehow a bit difficult to judge these choices from strictly cricketing merit. Otherwise, how would anyone explain that a player of the class of Michael Hussey initially did not get anyone to bid for him, while his bother, David, got the job for $625,000 with the Kolkata outfit. Glenn McGrath also was one who had to wait for final-round largesse from the Delhi franchisees GMR.
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Total Comments: 20
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Posted By vibhash gaurav
NADIR OF THE GAME
this a pure commercialization of cricket n this is the dirtiest thing that has ever happened to
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Posted By LVISS
When a player of the calibre of McGrath couldnt excite a franchise in the first shout ,and warne and Ponting
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Posted By ashish singh
wat d hell is all this. its all nonsense.Rohit sharma gets more than ponting, harbhajan singh gets more than kumble,murlitharan
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Posted By Bithika
I am an Indian and I am a big fan of my team but there is something which I hate
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Posted By Virgo
Sad Indian, I fully share your trepidation. Over 400 milliion of our fellow Indians have to go hungry and have
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