The IPL franchises proposed a two-year ban on overseas players who withdraw without valid reasons and recommended mandatory registration for mega auctions.
The Indian Premier League (IPL) franchises have proposed a two-year ban on overseas players who make themselves unavailable for the season after being bought at the auction without a legitimate reason. They have also urged the IPL to make it mandatory for overseas players to register for the mega auction instead of only entering mini-auctions in hopes of fetching higher bids. ESPNcricinfo reports that nearly all ten franchises agreed on these points during their meeting with the IPL on Wednesday.
Many IPL teams have been adversely affected by overseas players withdrawing from the league just before the season starts, citing personal reasons. Such last-minute pullouts disrupt team strategies, which are designed with these players in mind, and leave franchises struggling to find suitable replacements from a smaller pool of international talent.
The franchises have stated they can understand if a player is withdrawn by their national board to fulfill international duties, or if the player has suffered an injury or has family commitments that prevent them from joining the squad. They are willing to make allowances as long as there is clarity about the player’s availability during the IPL season at the time of the auction.
The issue for the franchises is that players bought at base price often withdraw after the auction. They cited an example where a player’s manager informed a franchise that his client could be available if offered more money.
The franchises also pointed out that several prominent overseas players have skipped the mega auctions in the last two cycles (2018-24) but participated in the mini-auctions to attract higher bids. This trend occurs due to the limited availability of top-quality talent in mini-auctions.
ALSO READ | Rohit Sharma Not Willing To Treat Sri Lanka ODI As ‘Warm-Up’: ‘Quality Of Cricket Should Remain Same’
The franchises believe some players and their managers are exploiting the system, making it necessary for the IPL to implement stricter regulations. They proposed that prominent overseas players must register for the mega auctions, and if they go unsold, only then can they enter the mini-auction the following season.
Last Updated on August 2, 2024