Glorified Cattle Market

It is that time of the year once again. The Indian Premier League auction of world's cricketers. Last year, everyone was amazed at Symonds' luck - he fetched 1.35 million dollars. No one knows where he is now. Dropped from the australian side, censured for indiscipline and getting psychiatric help etc. Now, this year, England's Flintoff and Pieterson fetched the maximum amount. 1.55 million dollars! Both immediately told the press, "it is an amazing amount of money. Unimaginable. Can't wait to go and play out there!". And, promptly England lost their ongoing test match in Carribean in a humiliating fashion - an innings and 23 runs! Their minds are not where it should be; seeing dollars doesn't help focus on the bat and ball on the field. Serves them right.
Read a wonderful article by David Hopps on this issue today. Here it is:

"Thanks to the parlous state of the British pound, one woke up on Saturday to discover that Flintoff and Pietersen had become the world's first £ 1 million cricketers. If they had been sold this time last year, we might all have shrugged and said:'Yes, well, it might well be a record, but it is only worth £ 800000.' But, now, they are million pound cricketers. Something to cheer about?

The IPL, as its administrators like to boast, is a classic example of the free market. You are paid what someone thinks you are worth. It is just that, in the free market, no one has a clue any more what anything - or anyone - is really worth. The financial services company Barclays were valued £15bn at the start of November, but only about £ 4bn last week as shareholders sold in droves.

In fact, it would be far more fun if cricketers were turned into public companies, with their value ruled entirely by their share price. Then, if Pietersen slogged one up in the air on 97 or Flintoff got out early, you could not only curse at the TV screen, but get on the phone and ring your broker.
The IPL is a glorified cattle market. The players go where they are told (sold?). They should all be forced to turn up, stand in a pen and then trail out after their Indian owner, gently mooing."

As free market is falling apart in all other fields, let us hope that it will fall apart in Cricket also soon.