About 150 foreigners went under the hammer for the Bangladesh
Premier League (BPL) auction Thursday despite a pay row which saw many
cricketers not paid their full dues for the first season.
The BPL is the Bangladeshi answer to the Indian Premier
League (IPL), which revolutionised cricket when it burst on to the scene in 2008
with a high-octane blend of international stars, Twenty20 matches and celebrity
glamour.
Pakistani opener Imran Nazir was sold for the second-highest
$280,000 and Afridi for $275,000, while more than a dozen foreigners went
for over $100,000, according to Channel 9 which telecast the auction live.
Bangladeshi batsman Nasir Hossain was auctioned off for $208,000
but he cast doubt whether he would be paid the amount.
He was sold last season for $200,000, the highest among
local players, but he was still not paid his dues.
The Federation of International Cricketers' Association (FICA)
in July threatened to sue the Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB) over unpaid wages
by the BPL, calling the situation "a joke".
BPL secretary I.H. Mallick said the authorities would "at
any cost" make the second edition successful, adding about 150 foreign
players were taking part in the auction.
"We are expecting more big names. They will be sold in
a close bid," he said, without mentioning the players.
BCB has set a $1.5 million spending cap for each of the
seven teams and forced them to write cheques on Thursday for the players who
were sold at a price higher than their tagged rate.
"We're now second
only to IPL, but we want to be as good as IPL," Mallick said.
The inaugural edition was also marred by spot-fixing
allegations, leading to life ban on a former Bangladeshi cricketer and arrest
of a Pakistani national.
The second edition starts next month.
BPL player auction
Shakib Al Hassan $365000
Shahid Afridi $275000
Luke Wright $75000
T Dilshan $75000
Owais Shah$75000
L Malinga $175000
Imran Nazir$280000
Mahmudullah$125000
Dwayne Bravo $175000
Sylhet Royals
Mushfiqur Rahim$205000
Andre Russel$115000
Tino Best$75000
Duronto Rajshahi
Tamim Iqbal $165000
Samuels$115000
Burners
Saeed Ajmal $115000
Azhar Mahmood $260000
Sunil Narine $75000
Brad Hodge $125000
Shoaib Malik $85000
Rangpur Riders
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