Flintoff, Pietersen join IPL at record prices: Contracts of six Pakistani players terminated

GOA (India), Feb 6: England’s Kevin Pietersen and Andrew Flintoff joined the Indian Premier League (IPL) on Friday as its most expensive players after being auctioned for $1.55 million each.

Pietersen was bought by liquor baron Vijay Mallya’s Bangalore Royal Challengers at a televised auction in this popular holiday resort, while Flintoff went for the same price to Chennai Super Kings.

Both players broke the existing record of India captain Mahendra Singh Dhoni, who was purchased by the Chennai franchise for $1.50 million last year.

Pietersen and Flintoff will, however, receive only half their money as England players are available for just the first three weeks of the lucrative six-week Twenty20 tournament.

Tournament rules stipulate that payments are made on a pro-rata basis for matches played. This year’s contracts are for a two-year period.

“A player like Kevin is a great buy for us,” said a beaming Mallya, whose team finished seventh out of eight teams in the inaugural edition of the tournament last year. “He is one of the most explosive batsmen in the world and will bring a lot of class to our team.”

Indian cricket board secretary N. Srinivasan, who owns the Chennai Super Kings, said he was delighted to have all-rounder Flintoff on board.

“Twenty20 cricket is a game for all-rounders and Flintoff is one of the best in the business,” said Srinivasan, whose team entered last year’s final where they lost to the Shane Warne-led Rajasthan Royals.

As many as 50 players threw their hat in the ring for the 17 slots available to franchises, but the unlucky ones could still make the grade at a later date to replace the absent Pakistan cricketers.

The IPL on Friday terminated the contracts of six Pakistan players, a fallout of the deteriorating political relations between the two nations.

The contracts of four other Pakistanis have been “suspended” after the Pakistan government declined permission to its players to take part in the second edition of the Twenty20 event in April-May for security reasons.

Newly-appointed Pakistan captain Younis Khan, Shoaib Malik, Shoaib Akhtar, Shahid Afridi, Salman Butt and Mohammad Hafeez found their contracts terminated by their respective franchises.

“By deciding not to take part this year, these players have gone against the rules of the IPL,” tournament boss Lalit Modi told reporters.

“A player can pull out only if he is injured or has an international Test or one-day commitment. The franchises have the option of either terminating their contract or suspending it.

“If they terminate the contract, the player becomes a free agent and the team gets an additional slot at the auction.”

A franchise official said the tense relations between the two governments over last November’s Mumbai attacks, which India has blamed on elements in Pakistan, forced a decision to terminate the contracts.

“The Pakistanis are not coming this year and it is unclear when they will play next in India,” the official, who did not want to be named, said.

“It makes no sense to keep them. We can now use that money on players who will play.”

The players whose contracts were suspended — meaning they could play next year — were Sohail Tanvir and Kamran Akmal of defending champions Rajasthan Royals, Umar Gul of Kolkata Knight Riders and Misbah-ul-Haq of Bangalore Royal Challengers.

The Pakistanis were contracted for varying periods of one to three years at amounts ranging from $100,000 to $700,000 a year.

Young South African Jean-Paul Duminy confirmed his rising stature in the sport when Sachin Tendulkar’s Mumbai Indians, owned by industrialist Mukesh Ambani, bought him for $950,000.

Rajasthan Royals, partly owned by Bollywood actress and British reality TV star Shilpa Shetty, created a stir when they picked up ageing South African Tyron Henderson for a whopping $650,000.

All-rounder Henderson, 34, has played just one international match — a Twenty20 game against India in 2006 — but has turned out consistent performances for his English county Middlesex.Bangladesh seamer Mashrafe Mortaza, whose base price was $50,000, went to Bollywood star Shahrukh Khan’s Kolkata Knight Riders for $600,000 despite a strong challenge from Kings XI Punjab.

No Indian player featured in the auction since they were already snapped up last year.

The second edition of the tournament, featuring the eight teams owned by tycoons, film stars and leading business houses, will be played across India in April-May.

List of cricketers bought by franchises at the IPL auction:

$1.55 million: Andrew Flintoff (England) —Chennai Super Kings

Kevin Pietersen (England) —Bangalore Royal Challengers

$950,000: Jean-Paul Duminy (South Africa) —Mumbai Indians

$650,000: Tyron Henderson (South Africa) —Rajasthan Royals

$600,000: Mashrafe Mortaza (Bangladesh) —Kolkata Knight Riders

$450,000: Ravi Bopara (England) —Kings XI Punjab

$375,000: Shaun Tait (Australia) —Rajasthan Royals

$275,000: Owais Shah (England) —Delhi Daredevils, Paul Collingwood (England) —Delhi Daredevils

$160,000: Jesse Ryder (New Zealand) —Bangalore Royal Challengers

$150,000: Fidel Edwards (West Indies) —Deccan Chargers, Kyle Mills (New Zealand) —Mumbai Indians, Jerome Taylor (West Indies) —Kings XI Punjab

$140,000: Thilan Thushara (Sri Lanka) —Chennai Super Kings