D-Day Sunday: Deadline for Aussies to sign with IPL

[rusdid24]

AUSTRALIA'S cricketers have been told to join the Indian Premier League by Sunday, even if it means defying their board, or face a three-year ban from the tournament.
Lalit Modi, chairman of the IPL, has taken a monumental step in forcing Cricket Australia's hand on contract negotiations, offering Australia's stars a chance to play in the tournament without no-objection certificates from the board — a stipulation that was required of every other international player.
Modi said Sunday was the deadline for all long-form IPL contracts to be signed and returned, so that players may be auctioned to the eight franchises next Wednesday.
"They are running out of time," Modi said. "I am not the type that won't follow through with what I say. If the contracts are not signed and returned by Sunday, the Australian players will not be allowed to take part in the IPL for three years. We are taking a list to owners on Monday.
"Each franchise has a $5 million cap for their team, and the contracts are for three years, so when they bid for players at the auction, they will use up all of their cap; there will be no money to buy other players later. We will gladly take the Australian players without NOCs. We don't want to go down that path but if we have to, we will."
The Board of Control for Cricket in India, which created the IPL, assured all cricket boards, including Australia's, that it would not accept players who didn't have board permission to participate in the Twenty20 tournament, to alleviate initial fears that some stars may quit international cricket to chase the big money on offer in the IPL.
Such is Modi's anger over Cricket Australia's opposition to sponsorship elements of the IPL contracts that he is willing to remove that condition in a divisive bid to lure Australia's disillusioned line-up.
Cricket Australia was meeting IPL lawyers in London yesterday, desperately trying to reach an agreement. The issue is Cricket Australia's concern that Australian players will be asked to advertise rivals of their own sponsors, and Modi reiterated last night that global protection for Cricket Australia's sponsors would not be given "under any circumstances".
A three-year ban would deny veteran players such as Matthew Hayden the chance to earn a hefty twilight pay packet, given that he is likely to retire from the international game within that time anyway. It would also devalue a player's worth if he entered the next player auction having been inactive for a year or two.
Australia's current players look set for only a token role when the IPL starts in April.
In fact, were it not for high-profile retirees such as Shane Warne, Glenn McGrath, Adam Gilchrist and Justin Langer, the IPL would be searching through footage from the Big Bash to find the next generation of potential Twenty20 stars.
Cancellation of this year's tour of Pakistan would alter the situation, allowing limited participation by the first tier of Australian players in the opening weeks of the IPL.
Even if that happened, Australia's tour of the West Indies would give players a narrow window in which to play, with Australia's first tour game beginning on May 16.
Apart from the retirees, likely Australian participants include former Test fast bowler Jason Gillespie, Victorian captain Cameron White and possibly NSW captain Simon Katich.

http://www.theage.com.au/news/cricket/ipl-boss-issues-new-cutoff-date/2008/02/12/1202760301010.html

D-Day approaches.
I'm just throwing it out there, but what would people think if the board blocked our players from participating for whatever reason, and our players said stuff you and went anyway, and were declared ineligible to play for Australia?

It would be the death of cricket as we know it IMHO.

 

[Philhawk]

http://www.theage.com.au/news/cricket/ipl-boss-issues-new-cutoff-date/2008/02/12/1202760301010.html

D-Day approaches.
I'm just throwing it out there, but what would people think if the board blocked our players from participating for whatever reason, and our players said stuff you and went anyway, and were declared ineligible to play for Australia?

It would be the death of cricket as we know it IMHO.

If it did happen, it would squarely be the fault of CA.

They have no right to restrict their players purely on the basis of protecting the 'global rights' of their current sponsors.

 

[rusdid24]

If it did happen, it would squarely be the fault of CA.

They have no right to restrict their players purely on the basis of protecting the 'global rights' of their current sponsors.

Agreed, they're being pretty pathetic about it and demanding the impossible. I have to say I agree with Modi 100% on the global protection for sponsors issue.

What would it say about the players, though, if they all went and signed for the IPL anyway, when CA says they will not be considered for selection for Australia if they do?
Would that tell us that the players value money much more than they value wearing the Baggy Green?

Like Richie said on the TV the other day, if you want to ask players what it's like to play for the love of your country and the game and not get paid, just ask the players from his generation. Got paid FA.

 

[Adelaide Hawk]

Any Australian player who feels they should be earning more from the game really has to be kidding themselves. Some of those guys are instant millionaires with playing contracts, performance bonues, not to mention all the advertising endorsements they receive. Same goes for AFL footballers. How much more money do these guys think they should get?

World Series Cricket was born from necessity where players were earning peanuts. IPL is born from pure greed and will eventually destroy the fabric of international cricket, if it hasn't done so already.

 

[^BL|TZ^]

I personally think we should all give the big finger to Modi and his IPL mates.

 

[rusdid24]

Any Australian player who feels they should be earning more from the game really has to be kidding themselves. Some of those guys are instant millionaires with playing contracts, performance bonues, not to mention all the advertising endorsements they receive. Same goes for AFL footballers. How much more money do these guys think they should get?

World Series Cricket was born from necessity where players were earning peanuts. IPL is born from pure greed and will eventually destroy the fabric of international cricket, if it hasn't done so already.

My thoughts exactly
There was a good article in the paper a few months back saying that even blokes like D.Hussey, on the fringes of national selection, may not ever get a gig, and plays county cricket in the winter, earns about $500,000 a year. How much more do they need.

Saying that, the IPL IS here to stay, and we're going to have to start adjusting our plans accordingly. That goes for Future Tours, CA, ACA and the players.

 

[Hawthorn United]

I agree with people that CA can't block players for restraint of trade or whatever, but the IPL basically threatening CA is just disgusting.

The IPL needs Australian players as it we're number 1 in the world.

Once again, BCCI/IPL are destroying cricket.

 

[Philhawk]

I agree with people that CA can't block players for restraint of trade or whatever, but the IPL basically threatening CA is just disgusting.

How? It's given CA a deadline so that the bidding process can be formulated around the players who are permitted to play.

The IPL needs Australian players as it we're number 1 in the world.

No, it doesn't.

There'll be just as much interest around the world from other countries without 'needing' Australian players.

 

[rusdid24]

No, it doesn't.

There'll be just as much interest around the world from other countries without 'needing' Australian players.

I disagree. I think the BCCI know that the credibility of the IPL would be much lower without the Australian players playing, and they'll do everything they can to get them there.

They're billing it as the best players in the world all playing in the one comp, and if the best players from the best team in the world aren't there, then the credibility of the IPL would be lowered.

 

[Philhawk]

I disagree. I think the BCCI know that the credibility of the IPL would be much lower without the Australian players playing, and they'll do everything they can to get them there.

They're billing it as the best players in the world all playing in the one comp, and if the best players from the best team in the world aren't there, then the credibility of the IPL would be lowered.

You're right, rusdid. When I said that the IPL didn't need the Australian players, I meant as in technically they don't need them for the competition to run and still receive massive exposure.

But absolutely, it does reduce the credibility of the competition a fair bit if the Australian players don't participate in it for the first three years.

Lets hope it doesn't get to that.

 

[SriLankanCat]

They are not threatening anyone....they have a timeline and they are tellin CA when that timeline is...the IPL doesnt need any current aussie players...they hav Hayden, Mcgrath, Warne etc.