Dubai: Have the owners of the Indian Premier League teams placed too much emphasis on Indian players and deliberately ignored foreign players?
There has been a trend for owners to prefer promising Indian youngsters to renowned foreign stars.
The list of foreign players ignored included some of the finest hard hitters and even outstanding allrounders.
The Board of Control for Cricket in India had earlier decided to exclude Pakistan cricketers completely.
On the first day the ignored top cricketers included West Indies stars Brian Lara, Chris Gayle, England's Graeme Swann and James Anderson.
On the second day, the list of foreign players ignored swelled to unimaginable proportions.
Speaking to Gulf News on the new trend, about especially about the exclusion of Pakistan players, Mudassar Nassar, the ICC Global Cricket Academy coach and former Pakistan allrounder said: "Pakistan players deserved to be playing in the IPL like anybody else".
"However, it is the prerogative of the Board of Control for Cricket in India to decide on this matter though the fact remains that Pakistan is in the forefront in Twenty20 version of the game and they have some of the finest players," he said.
"Not able to watch these players will be Indian public's loss."
Top losers
This owners even ignored even top subcontinent cricketers such as Bangladesh's hard-hitting opener Tamim Iqbal and Sri Lanka's Sanath Jayasuriya and Ajanta Mendis.
Even Australian opener Simon Katich who played for Punjab and had a base price of $100,000 (Dh367, 240) went unsold.
The foreign player who hogged the limelight on the second day to fetch the biggest price was Australia's hard-hitting allrounder and flag bearer of the aboriginal community Daniel Christian.
He had a base price of $50,000 but was obtained by Deccan Chargers for $900,000.
Among the foreign players, England batsman Owais Shah was purchased by Kochi and Holland's allrounder Ryan Ten Doeschate was snapped up by Kolkata for $50,000 but no one showed any interest in West Indies captain Darren Sammy, New Zealand's Martin Guptill, England's Ryan Sidebottom, Ian Bell, and Tim Bresnan, South Africa's Makhaya Ntini and Lonwabo Tsotsobe, or Australia's Peter Siddle.
However Kolkata Knight Riders won Indians such as Lakshmipathy Balaji for $500,000, Ashok Dinda by Delhi Daredevils for $375,000, Abhimany Mithun by Bangalore for $260,000 and Sudeep Tyagi by Chennai Super Kings for $240,000. Mumbai Indians got Munaf Patel for $700,000 while Delhi Daredevils went for Venugopal Rao for $700,000.
Low price
Interestingly, when some of the unsold foreign players' names were submitted again, New Zealand's Jesse Ryder, with a reduced base price of $100,000 was sold for $150,000 to Pune.
South Africa's Colin Ingram was picked by Delhi for $100,000 and India's Murali Karthik was purchased by Pune for $400,000. South African batsman Jonathan Vandiar was sold for as low as $20,000 to Bangalore.
Despite being submitted again, India players Wasim Jaffer, and VRV Singh went unsold.
The last player to be submitted again and purchased was Mohammad Kaif by Bangalore for $130,000.
Players who were bought on second day:
Daniel Christian: Deccan Chargers $900,000 , Matthew Wade Delhi Daredevils $100,000, Thisara Perera Kochi for $80,000, Ajit Agarkar Delhi Daredevils $210,000, Charl Langeveldt Royal Challengers Bangalore $140,000, R Vinay Kumar Kochi for $475,000, Ashok Dinda: Delhi Daredevils $375,000, Munaf Patel Mumbai Indians $700,000, Shaun Tait Rajasthan Royals $300,000, Umesh Yadav Delhi Daredevils $750,000, Clint McKay Mumbai Indians for $110,000, Balaji Kolkata Knight Riders $500,000, Roelof van der Merwe Delhi Daredevils $50,000, Stephen O'Keefe Kochi $20,000, Luke Pomersbach Royal Challengers Bangalore $50,000, Venugopal Rao Delhi Daredevils $700,000, Scott Styris Chennai Super Kings $200,000, Ben Hilfenhaus Chennai Super Kings for $100,000, Jayadev Unadkat Kolkata Knight Riders $250,000, Manpreet Gony: Deccan Chargers $290,000, Joginder Sharma Chennai Super Kings $150,000, Wayne Parnell Pune Warriors for $160,000, Abhimanyu Mithun Royal Challengers Bangalore $260,000, Nuwan Kulasekara Chennai Super Kings for $100,000, Sudeep Tyagi Chennai Super Kings for $240,000, Suraj Randiv Chennai Super Kings for $80,000, Owais Shah Kochi for $200,000, Michael Klinger Team Kochi $75,000, Ryan ten Doeschate Kolkata Knight Riders $150,000, Mitchell Marsh Pune Warriors $290,000, Andrew McDonald Delhi Daredevils $80,000, John Hastings Kochi $20,000, Pankaj Singh Rajasthan Royals $95,000, Johan van der Wath Royal Challengers Bangalore $50,000, Jerome Taylor Pune Warriors $100,000, James Pattinson Kolkata Knight Riders $100,000, Alfonso Thomas Pune Warriors $100,000, George Bailey Chennai Super Kings $50,000, Rilee Rossouw Royal Challengers Bangalore $20,000, Nuwan Pradeep Royal Challengers Bangalore $20,000, Chris Lynn Deccan Chargers $20,000, Francois du Plessis Chennai Super Kings $120,000, Jesse Ryder Pune Warriors $150,000, Murali Kartik Pune Warriors $400,000, Juan Theron Deccan Chargers $85,000, Travis Birt Delhi Daredevils $20,000, Dimitri Mascarenhas Kings XI Punjab $100,000, Jonathan Vandiar Royal Challengers Bangalore $20,000, Moises Henriques: Mumbai Indians $50,000, Colin Ingram Delhi Daredevils $100,000, Michael Lumb Deccan Chargers $80,000, Nathan Rimmington Kings XI Punjab $20,000, Aiden Blizzard Mumbai Indians $20,000, Robert Frylinck Delhi Daredevils $20,000, Mohammad Kaif Royal Challengers Bangalore $130,000.
Why do you think so many players went unsold? Was there anyone you thought would be sold who wasn't? Tell us by posting a comment below.
