IPL will loose excitement without Salary Cap - Ponting
May 19th, 2008IPL recently announced that the salary cap for players will be axed and that the game’s biggest stars could then expect staggering $14-15 million IPL contracts.
It would definitely create a free market, much like the soccer’s English Premier League, where franchises with unlimited buying power can spend much more on a player than the $1.65 million paid to M. S. Dhoni this year.
However, Ricky Ponting who played in IPL recently before going back to Australia insisted that the scrapping of the salary cap could ruin the tournament by allowing the mega-rich franchises to grab all the big boys.
“I have heard there may be no salary cap, but I’m not sure if that will be good for the IPL,” Ponting said to Herald Sun, Australia.
“The more I’ve thought about it, it might be detrimental to the whole set-up.
“We want good, competitive cricket with lots of international players playing good, close games.
“If they go ahead with no salary cap, a lot of that might go out the window.” - he added reports Heral Sub further.
Ponting’s plea may come as a shock to players who were anticipating a wind-fall in fees in the next session. But many thinks that Ponting is speaking logic to retain the excitement in the Game. With a booming economy in India many corporates can afford to scoop up all the best players and then the matches will turn into predictable one-sided events.
It remains to be seen whether Ponting’s call will influence IPL officials, who has done little to disguise the fact that the salary cap could be axed.
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Ponting’s stand will go down well with his Cricket Australia bosses in Melbourne.
There were already fears that skyrocketing IPL payments could encourage Aussies to trade a baggy green cap for an IPL bonanza.
While Ponting wants the salary cap to stay, he said the IPL was on the right track and would benefit world cricket if managed properly.
He continued to lobby for a designated window in the international cricket calendar, where the IPL could be staged as a stand-alone event without clashes with Test or one-day internationals.
“I really do think they can manage it well and have the IPL as something that is going to help the game, and not just be extra money coming in for the international players,” Ponting said.
“What it has done already is attracted new audiences to the game.
“With more audiences you are going to get more participation. With more participation you are going to get a stronger and better game with better players and better athletes. Overall, it should make cricket a better thing.” - added Ponting.
Reports in England suggest Kevin Pietersen is on the verge of signing a $4 million, three-year deal with an undisclosed IPL franchise.
Tags: aussies, Australia, England, india, IPL, Kevin Pietersen, M. S. Dhoni, Melbourne, ricky pontingPosted in Cricket News, IPL News |