MUMBAI: Former Indian cricketer Robin Uthappa has said that cricketers are being bought by team owners who are participating in IPL auctions with the cheapness of buying livestock from the market and that the auction day feels like waiting for the results of a long-running test. Uthappa was acquired by Chennai Super Kings in the recent IPL auction for a base price of Rs 2 crore. Uthappa also suggested that the IPL teams should introduce a draft system instead of the regular program of acquiring players through auction.
Uthappa made the controversial remarks in an interview with a national media outlet. Uthappa said it was not a pleasant moment during the IPL auction when a cricketer called his name and it gave the impression of waiting for the result of a previously written test. Uthappa said that all the information about Indian cricketers is available today and that is the biggest crisis.
Uthappa said that many people come to the auction with the preconceived notion of how much a player should be bought for and the owners are reluctant to pay for it, no matter how good the player is. Uthappa said it was not as comfortable to comment on a player’s game as it was to comment on the amount he would receive at auction.