Auctioneer Richard Madley Is An Off Field All-Rounder Of Lucrative League IPL

Dec 12, 2017 at 12:37 PM

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Auctioneer Richard Madley Is An Off Field All-Rounder Of Lucrative League IPL

Richard Madley is at his best when he holds the small wooden hammer before pointing a finger towards a franchise, who offers a bid to buy a player in the auction of the Indian Premier League.

One of the world’s prominent auctioneers, Madley had been a league cricketer for Surrey and a junior hockey player. He would practice hard on pronunciation of the players as he is the main voice behind the IPL auction, which is watched by millions of viewers across the globe.

“My role is just like that of an umpire and I want to make the right decisions at the right time and ensure that fair play is adhered too. I’m excited about IPL 10 as I was about the first auction will leave me when I walk on stage and I let my gavel do the talking”, the auctioneer Richard Madley told Deccan Chronicle.

Madley, who made appearances on TV for BBC, said the IPL has changed a lot which has been the highlight of the Twenty20 carnival in India since its inception in 2008.

“The mood of the auctions and the tournament has changed since the heady days of the Lalit Modi era – where the combination of glamour, sporting prowess, money and showmanship made the tournament a global hit,” Madley said.

Madley, who is a star in his own way, will participate in the 10th consecutive IPL edition on Monday (February 23) where players will go under the hammer in Bengaluru.

“People still ask me what it was like to work for in the early years and I say that without him the IPL would not exist and the game would be poorer for it. Lalit gave me the chance to conduct that first auction and I have not looked back. The man is a genius,” said Madley.

The man with the golden hammer, Wales-born Madley has recollected his memorable moments since being a part of IPL campaign in 2008. He also recalled when the West Indies giant and star batsman Chris Gayle went unsold in the first edition of the IPL.

“Everyone talks about IPL One being groundbreaking in 2008 – but do you know who went unsold in that first auction? Chris Gayle! In contrast there have been players bought on Test match reputation in the early auctions who failed to perform,” Madley further said.

The popular face in front of the giant screen, Madley is more like a 12th man for the IPL, who creates a buzz during the auction which has sprung many possible surprises in the recent past.

“Compared with the previous auctions this has been the most unsettled. Originally planned for February 4th the date has been changed twice before settling on February 20th – once again in Bangalore – but in a different hotel,” Madley remarked.

There has been bidding drama and then there have been surprise packages for the new faces, who remained highlights of the IPL Players’ Auctions so far.

“In looking back over 10 years there are many auction highlights, including tied bids of $1.4 million for Kevin Pieterson and Freddie Flintoff, tied bids for Kieron Pollard. Gautam Gambir selling for USD 2.4 million but nothing beats selling IPL legend MS Dhoni in the inaugural auction,” Madley concluded.

The auction includes the total of 351 players in which maximum of 76 players will be allowed to be purchased by the eight franchises of the IPL.

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