Controversial Pakistan fast bowler Shoaib Akhtar on Saturday signed up for the Cricket Board-promoted multi-million dollar Indian Premier League, along with wicketkeeping compatriot Kamran Akmal.
The signing up of Akhtar, reportedly at loggerheads with the Pakistan Cricket Board, and Akmal - along with Zimbabwe's Tatenda Taibu and Sri Lankans Chamara Silva and Tilekaratne Dilshan - boosted the number of top players from all over the world who have been roped in to 85.
"Akhtar signed up for IPL today along with Kamran Akmal and Tatenda Taibu. But the list of such players can keep increasing till the open players' auction is held in Mumbai on February 20. But no player can directly be signed up by any of the franchises," said IPL chairman and commissioner Lalit Modi today.
Modi also said the minimum bidding amount for a pool of contracted players in each franchise team has been fixed at USD three million and the maximum cap at USD five million.
"There should be four local players, based on the catchment pool areas we have divided today, also including any of the four iconic players already announced, and four under-22 players (from anywhere in the country) in each franchise team," the BCCI vice president told a press conference.
"There has been a demand from the Delhi and Hyderabad franchises to include Virender Sehwag and V V S Laxman respectively to the iconic players list, and the matter will be decided on later before the auction in consultation with all franchise owners," Modi said.
"The BCCI has made it mandatory that the IPL will see 32 under-22 Indian players in action. The limit has been raised from under-21 by one year because BCCI conducts only under-22 tournaments and not for under-21 players," Modi said.
The catchment areas for the eight franchise to rope in local players is as follows:
Mumbai (Reliance India Ltd.): Mumbai, Maharashtra and Vidarbha Cricket Associations.
Bangalore (UB Group): Karnataka and Goa Cricket Associations and Services Sports Control Board.
Chennai (India Cements): Tamil Nadu and Kerala Associations and Railways Sports Control Board.
Kolkata (Shah Rukh Khan's Group): Bengal, Jharkhand, Assam, Tripura and associate member Sikkim Cricket Associations.
Hyderabad (Deccan Chronicle): Hyderabad, Andhra and Orissa Cricket Associations.
Delhi (GMR Group): Delhi, Uttar Pradesh and Madhya Pradesh Cricket Associations.
Mohali (Preity Zinta Group): Haryana, Punjab, Himachal and J and K Cricket Associations.
Jaipur (Emerging Media Group): Rajasthan, Gujarat, Baroda and Saurashtra cricket associations.
"During the auction, the players would be divided into six categories based on their skills with the marquee players coming on top. The divisions would be done as opening batsmen, middle order batsmen, pace bowlers, spin bowlers, all-rounders and wicketkeepers", the IPL chairman elaborated.
"Only Sony Television, which has bought the media rights for IPL, will be allowed from the media to be present at the auction, but they have decided not to show it live," he said.
