Redemption time

On the face of it, players from two-time champion Chennai Super Kings (CSK) and inaugural edition winner Rajasthan Royals (RR) who all faced an uncertain Indian Premier League (IPL) future saw a ray of hope in Tuesday’s IPL Draft. At the end of the day, only ten, of which five are Indians, could afford the luxury of a smile.

The fact that the IPL Governing Council decided to give a fresh lease of life to those from the two teams, which have been suspended for the ninth and the tenth editions, has to be widely welcomed. However, one wonders if the purpose has been served as 40 players are left high and dry for no fault of theirs. If anything, those who were considered by Pune (owned by New Rising) and Rajkot (Intex) as prospects, who could be gambled upon, have received an overwhelming nod.

All eyes will now be on the February 6 player auction. Sanjeev Goenka, who owns Pune, comes across as a whiff of fresh air vis-à-vis other franchise promoters. He has been forthright while contending that he considers the entry more as a business proposition and not a mere hobby. What he meant was that materialistic returns mattered to him. He was equally down to earth after ‘buying’ Mahendra Singh Dhoni because “they needed a face to boost its stock and no individual’s brand value can come anywhere near the eight-time CSK captain.”

Although, one may not grudge Suresh Raina the money he has been taken in for, it does lower the value of the battle-scarred veteran that Dhoni is. Team India’s new poster boy, Ajinkya Rahane, must be the luckiest guy around because for a player who hardly fits the slam-bang bill, Rs 9.5 crore is too staggering an investment. On that count, Shane Watson, one of the most prolific run-getters in the earlier edition, is a tad unlucky as he failed to make the cut, which would have looked preposterous had Rajasthan Royals been in the League.

Meanwhile, even as the Governing Council pats itself on the back for ‘inventing’ this reverse recruitment policy as a rehabilitation measure, there are many riders that still exist. What is the guarantee that such spot-fixing scandals would not recur when the element of greed can make prey of the vulnerable classes, considering that most cricketers belong to the middle class or the lower economic strata. A dilemma the organisers will face will be when the suspension period ends. Will the two who have come in be thrown out or will the IPL will be a ten-team affair. Can two years of isolation be useful as a deterrent? Most importantly, errant team managements have been kept out, but what about the composition of the Governing Council itself? Tragically, the very people under whose stewardship the IPL scam shamed the nation’s image continue to rule the roost. Cleansing should have begun from the top for cricket to remain a gentleman’s game.