Six (million) and out

February 20, 2008 3:38 PM

The ultimate in fantasy sport: Each of the eight cricket franchises in the new Indian Premier League had a total of $5 million (£2.57 million) to bid at auction in Mumbai for the players who would represent them. The players receive the winning bid as their annual salary.
posted by patricio (16 comments total)

The few bits of 20-20 cricket I've watched, batting seemed to be a much more important part of the game than bowling, given the cavalier way batters smashed the ball around. (In fact I would hate to be a bowler in a 20-20 cricket side.) So I can understand why Glen McGrath didn't make his reserve price at the auction - there's not much point investing in a retired fast bowler who was renowned for consistently nagging away just outside offstump. But spending US$950,000 on Ishant Sharma doesn't make any sense at all.
posted by awfurby at 4:20 PM on February 20, 2008

“The thought of retiring early and not playing a Test match at Lord's or a Roses match for Lancashire to come and play in India is not something I would start to consider.”

Given his versatility Flintoff would have likely gotten some high bids.
posted by HVAC Guerilla at 5:15 PM on February 20, 2008

batting seemed to be a much more important part of the game than bowling

Which is why I'm tipping Hyderabad to win.

Gilchrist, Symonds, Sharma & Afridi for big hitting, Gibbs & Laxman for backup & stability, and enough competent bowlers to not give away too many runs, without necessarily being that intimidating a strike force.
posted by UbuRoivas at 5:19 PM on February 20, 2008

Chennai to come second.

None of the other teams even has eleven players!
posted by UbuRoivas at 5:21 PM on February 20, 2008

If anyone was wondering about the post title: In cricket a hit over the boundary fence (or out of the park) is six runs. In back-yard cricket however, you don't want to promote players hitting the ball over the fence into the neighbour's yard. But at the same time you want to reward a good hit.

So, the rule is "six and out" if you hit the ball over your neighbour's fence. Optionally "12 and out" if you break a window.
posted by pivotal at 5:31 PM on February 20, 2008

All of that is just pretext, though.

The real objective of the game is to use your cricketing skills to bowl a maiden over.
posted by UbuRoivas at 6:07 PM on February 20, 2008

20-20 is a bit too much of a slog-fest [though I'm picking people said the same thing when 50 over cricket was introduced] but I'll be watching just to see how the five NZers do.

“The thought of retiring early...." - Flintoff

He wouldn't have to - the tournament is sanctioned by the ICC. And the Indian league have said that Internationals will take first priority.
posted by meech at 6:38 PM on February 20, 2008

The bowler's Holding, the batsman's Willey.
posted by Wolof at 6:43 PM on February 20, 2008 [1 favorite]

not in my backyard!
posted by UbuRoivas at 7:29 PM on February 20, 2008

Interesting that Clarke didn't throw his hat into the ring, and a lot of people reckon he's playing for the bigger prize, Ricky Ponting's shoes.
posted by wilful at 8:58 PM on February 20, 2008

Ha! The joke's on him!

My local pub bought them & put them on display in a special trophy case, right next to Warwick Capper's shorts, an empty tub of hair gel left in a hotel room by Greg Matthews, and an old ball from some forgotten one-dayer in New Zealand.
posted by UbuRoivas at 9:29 PM on February 20, 2008

Anyone else see a resemblance between Ishant Sharma and Jar Jar Binks?
posted by emf at 12:05 AM on February 21, 2008 [1 favorite]

@ meech

Its different for english/welsh players as we tour during the iwnter and our county season starts in April - for them to play they would have to retire from the English side and turn up late for the county season.
posted by fatfrank at 7:31 AM on February 21, 2008

meech - it's not sanctioned by the ICC. That's why Shane Bond isn't playing for NZ any more.
posted by patricio at 8:24 AM on February 21, 2008

it's not sanctioned by the ICC. That's why Shane Bond isn't playing for NZ any more.

The Indian Premier League is sanctioned by the ICC. But the Indian Cricket League that Bond signed to is not sanctioned by New Zealand Cricket. Otherwise NZ would be out Vettori, Oram, McCullum and Styris as well, and that would truly suck. This interesting article by Mike Atherton explains how Bond screwed up/was screwed.
posted by meech at 10:33 AM on February 21, 2008

you're absolutely right, my bad. sorry. The Bond story is extraordinary - my kiwi colleagues still can't quite believe what happened
posted by patricio at 11:44 PM on February 21, 2008