Cricket: Indian Premier League auction cops more criticism

Ben Smith. Auckland Aces v Central Stags. Photo / Photosport

More criticism has been levelled at the player auction used in the Indian Premier League.

On the back of New Zealand players' boss Heath Mills hitting out at the "archaic and deeply humiliating" auction used to pick players for the T20 competition, the International Cricket Association executive chairman Tony Irish says the system is not in the best interests of the players.

Irish, a South African, conceded the IPL is a positive competition for the game and players. However, he said the auction is not the right way to contract players.

"Auction denies the player the ability to choose where he plays and on top of that it's not clear, and he has little say in, how long he is with that franchise for," Irish told the Times newspaper.

"If there are to be auctions and drafts in leagues then they need to fit with a fairer overall contract structure.

"The players have no voice in how the IPL works in India because despite the ... Indian Supreme Court rulings, there is still no players' association."

Irish pointed out teams have historically been given the right to unilaterally extend players' contracts without the agreement of the player.

"That means he can be in for a multi-year contract, but at the same time the team can still terminate after a year. Auction denies the player the ability to choose where he plays and on top of that it's not clear, and he has little say in, how long he is with that franchise for."

Mills told the Herald this week that while some players do well out of the IPL auction, "the vast majority would like to see the system changed" to one where contracts can be negotiated behind closed doors with coaches and owners.

"I think the whole system is archaic and deeply humiliating for the players, who are paraded like cattle ... " Mills added.

The IPL is the only domestic T20 league which uses a player auction system. Others, including the Caribbean Premier League, the Bangladesh Premier League and the Pakistan Superleague, use a draft system with categories into which players enter themselves and from which the teams can pick.

The Australian Big Bash model is similar to the English county T20 Blast with squads of domestic players and a maximum of two overseas players who are approached directly by the team and offered a contract.