IPL franchises seek clarity on player retention and Gayle issue

IPL franchises believe Chris Gayle will be the most sought after player if he is avaialble for IPL auctions © AFP

By Kushan Sarkar

Add Cricket Country as a Preferred Source

New Delhi: Jul 12, 2011

There is still a lot of time left before the fifth edition of the IPL kick-starts but most of the franchises have a few common queries and concern regarding the controversial ‘Player Retention’ issue as well as the status of last edition’s Orange Cap winner Chris Gayle for the coming editions.

Recently, IMG officials interacted with the top bosses of the 10 franchises to get their feedback on the last edition as well as get their suggestions and queries for coming editions which would be tabled in front of IPL governing council.

“The issue that we have raised is about the ‘Player Retention’ clause. We have suggested that if the IPL Governing Council sticks to Retention clause they should inform us much in advance rather than sending a circular a couple of months before the tournament starts,” an influential official of one of the franchises told PTI today.

It has been learnt that atleast seven of the 10 franchises want governing council to have all players for next auctions save Mumbai Indian who have Sachin Tendulkar and Chennai Super Kings who are led by Indian captain M S Dhoni.

The second issue is the status of Chris Gayle for next year as the big-hitting West Indian joined RCB as a substitute for Dirk Nannes after being ignored by franchises at the auctions.

“The GC should make it clear as to what will happen with Gayle as there is no clarity about his status. If he is free, then he would be most sought after by most franchises,” the official added.

Another problem will be how the contracts of the domestic players is dealt with as some of the top Ranji players demanded astronomical sums last year than the salary cap.

© PTI