Thursday, February 5, 2009

Clarke Thinks He's Worth a Million!?

"I don't think anybody is ready to pay that kind of price. The reality is in front of him. He didn't want to be unsold in the auction and so decided to pull out. We asked him to reduce the price but he was unwilling."

WHAT !! ?

That is what Lalit Modi said about Micheal Clarke pulling out of the IPL auction, to be held tomorrow.

Read the last sentence again.

Modi says that they asked Clarke to reduce his price but he was unwilling.

The IPL asked Clarke to reduce his price?

Does that even make sense?

I mean, its the players who decide their price?

Are you kidding Mr. Modi?

So it was Clarke who decided that his base price was going to be US$ 1 million?

And it was KP who decided that his base price was going to be US$ 1.35 million?

So then why did Ponting only decide to base himself on US$ 300,000?

Didn't Ponting think he was worth more than that?

And did Clarke really think he was worth a million dollars?

And then when he didn't think anyone would pay that sum he pulled out. Why didn't he lower his base?

This just sounds so absurd. I know why no one would be willing to pay a million for Clarke, but isn't it the IPL who decides these base prices?

If its really the players then someone needs to consult Shakib and tell him that he's worth way more than a mere $75,000!

Modi needs some explaining to do.

Make your pitch on this post...



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18 Pitched:

  1. Anonymous said...
     

    Dear Awesome Blogger,

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    Hope you get it...

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  2. Homer said...
     

    Q,

    Dont the player's agents and the IPL governing council come to a consensus on what price the auction?

    And if the owners are not ready to fork that amount, doesnt Modi's comment make sense?

    Cheers,

  3. Q said...
     

    Ankit, will change it today.

  4. Q said...
     

    Homer, I don't think the players' agents have any role in determining the base price. It is the IPL governing council who determine the base prices. If the agents had a say, then some prices make no sense at all.

  5. Homer said...
     

    http://in.reuters.com/article/topNews/idINIndia-32009720080218

    Dhoni's base price in the open bid is reportedly set at $400,000, which places India's one-day and Twenty20 captain in the highest bracket and on a par with home stars Sachin Tendulkar, Saurav Ganguly, Rahul Dravid and Yuvraj Singh, who will not go under the hammer.

    League rules state they will represent their city-based franchises -- Tendulkar for the Mumbai team, Ganguly for Kolkata, Yuvraj for Chandigarh and Dravid for Bangalore -- and will get 15 percent over the highest paid player in their side.

    Australian Gilchrist, who is retiring from international cricket next month, reportedly starts at $275,000, lower than team mate Ricky Ponting ($350,000) but his devastating batting ability and charismatic personality make him hot property.

  6. Q said...
     

    Homer, no where in the article does it say that the players or the players' agents are involved in the pricing.

  7. Homer said...
     

    Q,

    Agreed.. But then, where did the million dollar figure come from?

    Either Clarke wants a million irrespective of the base price set or someone decided his base price be a million.

    Since the second is irrational, Modi's comments seem to make sense.

    Cheers,

  8. Q said...
     

    Homer, I don't think a player or his agent sets his base price. It is the IPL council who sets it. They set everyone's base price including Clarke's. They set Clarke's at a million. Why, I don't know.

    The reason I say Modi's comments don't make sense is that he is implying that the IPL asked Clarke to reduce the base price. Why would the IPL do that. They are the ones who set the base price, so if they thought no one would pay that much, they should have reduced it themselves. Theres no reason to ask Clarke.

    Hence, what Modi has said, does not make sense.

  9. Homer said...
     

    Q,

    Miechal Clarke is valued at 1 million dollars, that is not his base price.

    Anyways, the next couple of days will tell us what we dont know.

    Cheers,

  10. Q said...
     

    Homer, I think you're missing something. 1 million was Clarke's base price, at which the auctioning was to start just like $400,000 was Dhoni's base price and $350,000 was Ponting's base price.

    The list of 43 players released by the IPL the other day had the players' base prices, not what they were valued at. That is the prices at which their auction will start.

    Here are the base prices for tomorrow's auction: http://content-gulf.cricinfo.com/ipl2009/content/story/388812.html

  11. Homer said...
     

    Then Modi is an ass!

  12. Anonymous said...
     

    I'm having trouble believing both sides here. Clarke was well aware of the FTP schedule and given that he pulled out last year for personal reasons, I would have expected that that was sorted out prior to his decision to make himself available this year. So his reasons for pulling out make little sense.
    I've just heard an interview on a news channel where Modi claims the player's and their counsel were allowed to fix the base price, which doesn't make much sense unless it is just a select few who were given that option. Modi's fuming, his comments have been unprofessional so I have to wonder if someone goofed up when they released the base prices and then they tried to convince Clarke to agree to something which would only have reflected poorly on him, like agree to a price way below the released price.

  13. Q said...
     

    Your right Achettup.. someone definitely goofed up..

    The point here was not to question Clarke's pull out... that doesn't make credible sense but then not much the Aussies do or say these days does.. the point was to ponder over players setting their base prices - to me that does not make sense.

  14. Anonymous said...
     

    Lalit Modi is beginning to remind me of Don King more and more every day. All he needs to finish the look is a new hairdresser, a shiny black stretch limo and some heavy looking bling!

  15. Homer said...
     

    However, it was not clear whether the talented middle-order batsman - who withdrew last year to spend time with his ill father - would have made the reserve price. While keen to play, Clarke is determined not to be undervalued.

    He tried to call Modi before announcing his decision and, when unable to, sent him a text message before going public.

    Clearly unimpressed, Modi told India's NDTV: "I don't think anybody is ready to pay that kind of price [$US1m]. The reality is in front of him. He didn't want to be unsold in the auction and so decided to pull out.

    "We asked him to reduce [his] price but he was unwilling."

    ---
    IPL Commmisioner Lalit Modi has clarified that Michael Clarke had withdrawn as he was overpriced. He spoke to CNN-IBN on Thursday.

    "Michael Clarke undoubtedly is one of the best players in the world," Modi said. "But I think he gauged his price wrong. I've been talking to his agents and telling them that he should lower his price. But for some reason he didn't want to lower his price.

    "The reality is, his agent told me last night that he didn't feel anybody would bid for him," he added. "He doesn't want to be unsold. Players need to be realistic in trying to gauge their pricing. Otherwise, the franchises are going to be tough on them and reject them."

    --

    So its neither the base price nor is it the value price.. It is the damn reserve price.

    Who knew?

    Cheers,

  16. Homer said...
     

    Here's more

    http://www.theage.com.au/news/sport/cricket/star-cricketers-batting-above-their-weight/2009/02/05/1233423382259.html

  17. Anonymous said...
     

    There is no difference between reserve and base price,I think all parties involved knew that he was going to be unsold, but Why Modi asked him to cut down his price, mainly because if a player remains unsold he gets his full base price paid by the IPL with out playing even a single match, remember Mohammad Yousaf's case, I think Modi was not willing to pay $1 mil for nothing thats why he asked him to reduce the base price.

  18. Q said...
     

    Homer, the reserve and base price are one and the same. Its the price at which the auction bids begin for the players.

    Its clear from Modi's comments that Clarke and/or his agents set his price. But this just does not make sense. Its like employees setting their minimum wage and then telling the employers that i will not work for less than this. That's absurd.

    Why was Clarke allowed to set his own price? Were the other players allowed to set their price as well?

    As Wasim pointed out, all the unsold players get paid by the IPL their base price (reserve price, whatever u may call it), so it only makes sense for the IPL to set the base prices.

    It just doesn't make sense.

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