Mumbai, Oct. 18 -- In a move aimed at protecting the interest of the beleaguered Deccan Chargers' players, the Indian Premier League (IPL) governing council is mulling over a general proposal for all players which will make them free agents once their current contract expires. The IPL governing council members, who met here at the Cricket Centre on Wednesday, discussed the proposal at length. However, the final decision in this regard would be taken only after the Bombay High Court pronounces its judgement over the pending case on Thursday.
The players, most of whom have contracts up to October 31, have not received their payments for the last season. The proposal will also ensure that the DC players whose contract continues even after the stipulated date, will become free agents and can be bought by other franchises on or above their base prices.
And if they remain unsold, the proposal includes that they would be compensated equivalent to their base price by the Indian board for the remaining part of their contracted period.
"We are mulling over the proposal of making the players free agents once their contracts with the respective franchisees are over," said a BCCI insider.
The proposal would also be applicable to players hired by other franchisees other than DC, he added.
Earlier, the transfer window and players' auction were the only available options for buying and transferring cricketers.
If this proposal is cleared then the players could be bought directly by the franchises in accordance with the prescribed terms and conditions.
Published by HT Syndication with permission from Hindustan Times.