Loss of the urn unlikely to affect IPL earnings for saggy green brigade

[vvvslaxman]

http://www.smh.com.au/sport/cricket/loss-of-the-urn-unlikely-to-affect-ipl-earnings-for-saggy-green-brigade-20110106-19hll.html Loss of the urn unlikely to affect IPL earnings for saggy green brigade Andrew Wu AS CRICKET fans around the country spend the weekend drowning their sorrows after another failed Ashes campaign, those responsible for Australia's inept performance are set for a potential $3 million payday in the Indian Premier League auction. Sources close to the bidding process have revealed to the Herald the estimated sums members of Australia's team in Sydney could fetch for this weekend's two-day auction in Bangalore: Shane Watson ($1.8 million), Phillip Hughes ($100,000), Michael Hussey ($400,000), Brad Haddin ($700,000), Steve Smith ($100,000), Peter Siddle ($50,000), Ben Hilfenhaus ($20,000). Victorian Cameron White, Australia's Twenty20 vice-captain and regarded as the country's best player of the shortest form of the game, is likely to go for around $1 million. Advertisement: Story continues below Twenty20 specialist David Warner, who carried his bat for NSW this week in a Big Bash game televised in India, will also be hot property for the tournament that starts just after the World Cup final in early April. Figures, however, will vary depending on how much money franchises have in their salary cap after the first day of the auction when teams bid for Indian players. Foreign players are up for sale on day two. While there is no cap on how many non-Indian players a franchise can buy, teams are allowed to play a maximum of four each game. Australia's on-field leaders Ricky Ponting and Michael Clarke have turned their back on the IPL riches as has pace spearhead Mitchell Johnson, who would have commanded a bid of around $500,000. The likelihood of Australia's tour of Bangladesh being restricted to four ODIs in April has increased the players' earning power as Test matches would have stretched the tour out. Watson could eat up as much as $1.8 million from the Rajasthan Royals' salary cap as dictated by IPL rules regarding retained players. But as the club has also held on to Shane Warne, who captained the team to the title in the inaugural competition in 2008, Watson's price could drop to $1.3 million. Clubs, however, are not obliged to pay retained players the full amount but must declare it in their salary cap. Wicketkeeper Haddin is likely to make his IPL debut after sitting out the first three editions of the tournament and as a dual-role player will be eagerly sought-after. So will Test stalwart Michael Hussey, who was a member of Chennai's champion team last year. Australia's first-choice Test quicks Siddle and Hilfenhaus are unlikely to attract much interest from bidders. But Twenty20 specialists such as Dirk Nannes and Shaun Tait, and Test discard Doug Bollinger, whose arrival at Chennai turned that team's fortunes, are expected to be just behind White and Warner in terms of cost. The explosive David Hussey could be worth as much as $500,000 while hard-hitting all-rounder Dan Christian, who plays for South Australia, could command a surprisingly high $200,000.

[nballa]

doubt it. the ipl earnings are based on how far you can tee off a cricket ball not how correct your technique is or how long you can last in a 5 day match.