INDIAN FRANCHISES forked out unprecedented sums of money yesterday and created 15 millionaires in the process, but none was prepared to spend a cent on West Indian star Chris Gayle.
Gayle, who turned down a one-year West Indies Cricket Board retainer contract last September, was among 16 players who failed to attract a buyer on the opening day of the 2011 Indian Premier League action.
Former West Indies captain Brian Lara also went unsold, while all-rounder Dwayne Bravo was purchased by reigning champions Chennai Super Kings for US$200 000 – a miniscule sum against the background three players fetched more than US$2 million, a further 12 went for more than US$1 million and another 28 were sold for more than US$500 000.
Prior to yesterday’s auction in which 88 players were on the market, 12 cricketers, including West Indian Kieron Pollard, had been retained by their franchise.Pollard will be on the books for Mumbai Indians for another season, having been retained for US$900 000 by the franchise that opted not to pursue Bravo again.The biggest spending franchise was the Kolkatta Knight Riders, who signed Gayle for US$800 000 in the inaugural edition of the tournament in 2008.
While the Knight Riders chose not to go after Gayle, the franchise spent record sums, dishing out US$2.4 million for India opener Gautam Gambhir, US$2.1 million for India all-rounder Yusuf Pathan and US$1.1 million for South Africa all-rounder Jacques Kallis.
Gayle and Lara could still be bought on the second day of the auction today when several other West Indians will also be on the market.They include Sulieman Benn, Tino Best, Darren Bravo, Shivnarine Chanderpaul, Pedro Collins, Fidel Edwards, Ricardo Powell, Denesh Ramdin, Ravi Rampaul, Floyd Reifer, Kemar Roach, Ramnaresh Sarwan, Dwayne Smith and Jerome Taylor.
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