IPL - Reauction finds resistance.

IPL's franchisee owners have not taken kindly to IPL's decision to allow reauction of all players for  IPL 4,

 

Basically, the reauction means that the IPL franchisees will have to bid for their players again. The franchisee owners believe that this could lead to bidding flare up for players like Mahendra Singh Dhoni, Sachin Tendulkar, Yuvraj Singh, Virender Sehwag and Gilchrist.

 

Outwardly IPL's move to reauction is apparently to help the 2 new franchisees who will become a part of IPL 4 from 2011. However, IPL's primary motive appears to be to cut the current franchisee owners to seize.

 

The decision by IPL to end the services of IMG last August, did not go well with the franchisee owners. Some of the more influential of them demanded IPL to reconsider the decision and also expressed anguish over the unilateral decision taken by IPL.

 

Similarly, it is rumoured that there is move to form a IPL franchisee owners association, tentatively  named Franchisees United, to play a larger role in BCCI’s decision-making and explore opportunities.

 

IPL and its owner BCCI have not taken kindly to this association and also to the earlier instance of being questioned about the IMG contract.Historically, BCCI has guarded its insularity religiously and have always turned its might on any attempts to dominate it.

 

This time however, they may meet stiffer resistance if the franchisee owners band together. So it is in BCCI's interest to see that these franchisee owners are cut to size and the reauction is the first move by them to get the franchisee owners realise who is the boss.