Separate auction for domestic players

New Delhi: In the wake of suspension of five domestic players and allegations about players being paid 'black money', the Indian cricket board may have a separate auction for the uncapped domestic players in the coming seasons of the cash-rich IPL.

It is learnt that at least three franchises during their meeting with the BCCI top brass have requested them to have either 'open auction' or a separate auction exclusively for uncapped domestic players in order to avoid any confusion.

"The brand gets affected by these allegations and the best way to do it is by having either open auctions or an exclusive auction for uncapped domestic players. We have already intimated our feelings to IPL Governing Council in this regard. They have assured us that the matter would be seriously considered," an IPL team official said on Wednesday.

IPL franchises have urged BCCI to have separate auction for uncapped players to avoid confusion.

Till now, according to BCCI salary cap, the maximum an uncapped domestic player can earn is Rs 30 lakh, considering he has five years experience in first-class cricket. For BCCI, the 'open auction' is certainly not a feasible option considering that IPL auctions are televised live and including hundreds of domestic players won't be a commercially viable option.

"But we can certainly think of a separate auction for domestic players even if it’s not televised. It will certainly be a step forward towards maintaining transparency as far as payments are concerned," a BCCI official said. Another franchise official cited Ambati Rayudu's example as to why domestic players who have performed consistently should get more.

"A Wriddhiman Saha on basis of international experience fetched $100,000 (CSK) from last year's IPL auctions. Now Ambati Rayudu is entitled to Rs 30 lakh even though his T20 credentials are far more than that of Saha," the official explained.

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