Sep 17, 2008

Sport - Cricket;Transfer in IPL allowed,no cap on fees

NEW DELHI: The Indian Premier League (IPL) just got bigger, at least in terms of the moolah.

The IPL’s governing council on Tuesday decided that franchisees would be allowed to trade players among themselves and, crucially, the transfer money would not be subject to the cap of $5 million placed on player fees per team. The decision was taken at the council’s meeting held in Mumbai.

The decision is subject to the franchisees approving it when they meet the IPL organizers for a three-day session in Goa soon. Given the fact that some team owners like Vijay Mallya have publicly called for a lifting of the cap, chances are that the proposal will be accepted.

This means franchisees who believe they have been saddled with players who do not quite fit their requirements can look for prospective buyers and try and replace them with those who are better suited to their needs. The transfer window will be open from December 15 to January 15.

According to the proposal, the franchisee who sells a player will be entitled to keep 75% of the transfer fee with the remaining 25% going to the player. This is akin to, though not identical to, the sort of transfer system that club football in Europe, for instance, has.

The IPL had earlier suggested a barter system, which would have meant only minor reshuffling of the teams. With the cap not applicable to transfers, it would be no surprise if some of the laggards from the first IPL season make aggressive bids to acquire players who they believe can change the fortunes of their team.

The IPL governing council also decided that the ICC Anti-Corruption Unit (ACU) would be fully involved with the tournament.

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