Chris Morris and Pat Cummins both failed miserably after breaking IPL bidding records.
I am sure nothing boosts the ego of a cricketer more than seeing auction records tumble as teams scramble to pay whatever they need to to have you in their side.
Life is good, at the onset, for overnight millionaires thanks to the much-hyped T20 competitions around the world, which still seem to be burgeoning 18 seasons after the first Indian Premier League.
Players are increasingly forgoing international duties to strike up careers playing the shortest format of the game for the highest bidder, or at least signing hybrid contracts that allow for greater flexibility so they can make the odd cameo for big bucks.
The SA20 held a R9 million record bid going into its fourth season. This was broken, and almost doubled, by two players who are now probably planning their next overseas family holidays or homes in the French countryside.
Or maybe they’re thinking of another sports car, or two. Whatever floats their boat… and a yacht is an option as well.
SA20 records tumble
One of world cricket’s most hyped young players, the hugely talented 22-year-old Dewald Brevis fetched R16.5 million at auction.
Proteas T20 captain Aiden Markram was sold for R14 million, also a record amount, while all-rounder Wiaan Mulder raked in R9 million.
The only drawback to these massive payslips is the pressure that comes with them.
For a professional sportsperson, performance is everything. Your whole identity and worth is wrapped around whether you can run faster than the person next to you, score more goals than the other guy (on your team as well as the other), or in this case, more runs.
Thankfully, cricketers are more attuned to form than most. And even when in form, a great delivery or lusty stroke can still end badly for you.
But few were impressed by Proteas all-rounder Chris Morris, who went for a then-IPL record of $1.95 million USD in 2021. He took 15 wickets in 11 matches but had a costly economy of 9.17. He also only scored 67 runs, an average of 13.40, with a highest score of 36*.
Likewise, Pat Cummins sold for a then-overseas record of $1.86 million to only take 12 wickets in 14 matches in 2020’s IPL. He had an awful bowling average of 34.08 that tournament.
Brevis and Markram can always bounce back if they fail this season. But all eyes are on them now.
