Googly for Warne: Not many takers for ‘over-priced’ star

“Warne’s profile doesn’t exactly fit the bill for a Twenty20 cricketer and we can’t really say if our group sees him as one of the biggest brand idols on the auction window. We could instead go in for a young and upcoming spinner, who brings more to the team in terms of flexibility in skills,” he added.

More emphasis could be given on getting all-rounders such as Sanath Jayasuriya, Chris Gayle, Jacques Kallis and Andrew Symonds. “These players matter more for their all-round capabilities,” said TA Sekar of the Delhi team.

Companies are planning their strategy to the last detail and will be expected to bid more aggressively for a solid squad rather than for big-reputation players. “How does it make a difference to the brand by buying Warne at such a high price?” said an analyst.

Most team representatives agree that the first year of the IPL will be all about going for the title. It is in the following year that they will be able to draw from this achievement.

Shah Rukh Khan and Vijay Mallya — known to splurge — could have been expected to be more interested in Warne. But Bangalore team CEO Charu Sharma says they will go for Anil Kumble rather than Warne because he will be a local crowd-puller. And if SRK opts for John Buchanan as coach, Warne is not likely to be on his wish list because of their well-documented problems.

Things don’t look too good for Warne, but he’s been known to get out of trickier situations in the past. Who knows, he just might end up with the biggest money by the end of tomorrow.