Shane Warne commands highest price for new IPL

Shane Warne commands highest price for new IPL

SHANE Warne will leave his former teammates in the shade by commanding the highest reserve price at today’s historic player auction in India but Michael Clarke has boldly put country ahead of cash.

Clarke last night turned his back on $250,000 for six weeks’ work and joined teammates Brad Haddin and Mitchell Johnson in withdrawing from the Indian Premier League competition to focus on consolidating his Australian career.

The IPL will auction about 90 players from around the world in a hotel room in Mumbai this afternoon.

About $45 million will be spent on the cream of the world’s cricketing talent.

The Herald Sun last night obtained confidential details of the reserve prices of all players. The prices were handed to franchise owners two days ago.

Warne, whose last ball in international cricket was delivered against England at the SCG 13 months ago, was the No. 1-ranked player.

He is up for sale for a minimum of $495,500 and fellow retiree Glenn McGrath ($385,500) is also rated above 11 other Australian players including captain Ricky Ponting ($358,000).

The cheapest Australian is Victorian all-rounder Cameron White at $110,500.

“I think the IPL is a great competition, and I love Twenty20 cricket and playing in India,” Clarke said. “But the timing is not right for me from a family and cricket perspective.

“I’m 26 years of age and I want to give myself every chance of having a long career for Australia. I just want to win the Commonwealth Bank Cup, a Pura Cup for New South Wales and take the old man fishing.”

The impressive single-mindedness Clarke displayed in his decision can only enhance his hopes of becoming Australia’s next Test captain.

The players keep all the money that is paid for them at the auction. Adam Gilchrist and Indian Twenty20 captain M. S. Dhoni are likely to snare the highest bids.

The franchises have about $5.5 million to splurge on eight recruits, so there is a strong chance some players will attract around $1 million for 44 days’ work.

The auction will not include what the IPL call icon players — Indian stars Sourav Ganguly, Rahul Dravid, Yuvraj Singh and Sachin Tendulkar — who have been given permission to play for their home cities.

They will receive the same figure paid for the dearest player in their franchise plus a 15 per cent loading.

If the Twenty20 league, which starts in April, succeeds, it will be given its own place on the cricket calendar and immediately threaten the future of the 50-over game.

Senior administrators fear the Twenty20 format could become the dominant form of the game.

Each IPL team will have a pool of 16 players, of whom eight can be international and four from the under-22 level or from the catchment area where the team is based.

The league will involve 59 matches and have $3.5 million prizemoney.

Former Australian coach John Buchanan has been confirmed as the coach of the Kolkata team with Tom Moody to guide Mohali.

Former Australian batsman Darren Lehmann yesterday confirmed he was considering extending his career by joining one of the Indian Twenty20 leagues.

Lehmann said he had taken advice that his participation would not conflict with his role as Australian Cricketers’ Association president.

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