Response from Indian fans has been overwhelming, says Richard Madley after IPL snub
'Tuesday will be a strange feeling, but I'll be following it with interest'.
Before February 2008, 'cricket' and 'auctions' weren't particularly synonymous. When the IPL was announced, and the first-ever auctions introduced, there was uncertainty, more than anything else, as to where the game was headed.
Suddenly, tycoons owned teams and players bore price tags. And, an Englishman, unheard of in the cricketing circles, was at the centre of it all.
Self-described as the 'all-rounder of the auction world', Richard Madley has a 40-year experience of selling everything from antiques and jewellery, to classic cars and sports memorabilia.
For the last 11 years, however, Madley, was the face of Indian cricket's 'market' day, returning season after season with his trademark reading glasses, high brow, and the tiny brown gavel to announce new millionaires.
Just ahead of the 2019 auctions, Madley, expected to reprise his role, was replaced by Hugh Edmeades, with no official statement issued for the reason behind the change of guard.
In an interview with Sportskeeda, Madley talked about the life-changing job in India, the highlights, and the abrupt departure of IPL's 'Hammerman'.
Tell us about the events that led to you being IPL’s first-ever auctioneer.
I was first approached by Andrew Wildblood of IMG in January 2008, to see if I could help them structure an auction of cricketers which took me by surprise.
'An auction of cricketers!' I asked myself. 'Is that feasible?'
I helped IMG develop an auction model - introduce some terms, regulations and guidelines. Bidding increments were discussed, reserves were talked about.
We started from scratch and built the model. The conditions of sale mirrored those of the major auction houses but what we wanted was total transparency.
It was decided that there would be total transparency surrounding the issue of reserve prices, a reserve being the confidential minimum below which the player could not be seen.
Lalit Modi wanted the auction to be conducted with total independence and integrity and left this side of the business to IMG and me.
What was the perception of the IPL back then?
When I was invited to then conduct the inaugural IPL Auction in February 2008, I felt like a pioneer. Here was I, a 50-year-old auctioneer, going to India for the very first time, to change the way that cricket would be viewed forever. I was equally excited about visiting India - a country I had longed to visit but never had the opportunity.
Nobody knew how groundbreaking that first-ever IPL auction would be in the Oberoi Hilton on February 8, 2008. The world of cricket changed during that auction as the world focused on the prices being paid for cricketers.
The excitement, tension, drama, competition and hype was enormous and I was the man in the middle - standing alone on stage for 8 hours with a gavel in my hand as I played my role.
The auction was a masterstroke and immediately became the focus of the sporting world.
You’ve already mentioned selling MS Dhoni to the Chennai Super Kings as one of your biggest highlights in the role. Do you recall any other special moments?
The highlights over the past 11 auctions have been many, with Dhoni being the groundbreaker.
I recall Freddie (Andrew) Flintoff and Kevin Pietersen both selling for joint-highest prices in IPL 2, but being overshadowed by the Bangladeshi quick bowler Mashrafe Mortaza, selling to KKR for $600k (we sold in $US back then).
It is often these lesser-known players who cause the greatest surprises, selling for multiples of their base price.
Isn't it great when a young Afghan spinner like Mujeed Zadran attracts a bid of Rs 4 crore from KXIP? These are life-changing amounts for these young players - and that's what the IPL Auction can do.
Going through a lengthy list of players throughout the day could be quite a task. Which franchise/franchise owner(s) were your favourites, purely on entertainment value during a long auction day?
Over the last 11 years, I have seen a number of changes in the franchises in the auction arena, with some teams coming and going, and then returning. In all that time I have only enjoyed a friendly, civil relationship with the team owners.
We have an excellent working relationship and the excitement, tension and drama are shared by all. Each team has its own individual character, reflected in their bidding styles. Some are more reserved than others, some are quite flamboyant.
The IPL auction can be a lengthy process, always one full day, often two. It is therefore important to maintain my energy levels and engage with the audience. At times, I find it a very serious process and then we break it up with some humour.
How has life changed for you after being the face of T20 cricket’s single-biggest day?
Being tagged "The Hammerman" following IPL 2008 changed people's perception of me in the auction world. I was no longer the former President of Christie's East, New York, but now the man who oversees the most high profile auction world.
I was described recently, by The Times of London, as "The man who (for one day) becomes the most important man in world cricket" - which is an accolade in itself.
I am regularly invited to speak at events about the role I play, the back stories and the money! I have become popular on the charity auction circuit where my services are in much demand. I have however never got carried away by the situation as the IPL auction is one day a year and there are 364 others.
What my successor will find is that the role of the IPL auctioneer is unlike any other auction in the world, where his role is more akin to an umpire than a salesman.
When I leave India the day after the auction, I go back to being Richard Madley, the Independent Auctioneer. It is nice to be recognised in Indian restaurants in the UK however-where I get very good service!
Purely as a cricket fan, who are your favourite players? Do you have particular favourites/franchises in the IPL?
My favourite players are still my schoolboy heroes - Alan Knott, Farokh Engineer, Ken Barrington. More contemporary players included Ravi Shastri, Matt Maynard and Nick Knight.
I have no current favourite teams or players - as I think it is important that I remain impartial.
I was recently asked who my favourite Indian cricketer was and I replied "Farokh Engineer"! As an aspiring young wicket-keeper batsman in the UK, I marvelled at the energy of this stumper batsman from India - playing county cricket for Lancashire.
I loved watching Murali (Muttiah Muralitharan) and Lasith Malinga and admired the composure of Dhoni but I really have no favourites because I love cricket - the game.
You’ve played league cricket yourself at Surrey. Did Richard Madley, the budding cricketer, ever dream of making it to the biggest stage?
I dreamt as a young boy about playing cricket for Glamorgan. I would have loved to have played cricket professionally, but realised very soon that I wasn't good enough. You quickly realise that there are some very talented cricketers out there and how hard it is to break through.
I played therefore in the Surrey League and continue to play today in the lower leagues of the English minor county leagues. I was delighted to see a young Ravi Shastri join Glamorgan some years later and so build the ties between India and my home county.
I did, however, play hockey to a decent standard - representing my country Wales in the Under-19 and Under-21 European Championships. I would, therefore, play hockey all winter and cricket throughout the summer.
There was no mention about the exact reason for your absence for the IPL 2019 auctions. Was it a personal decision?
My departure from IPL was NOT my decision. It was made for me by the BCCI and IMG. I was told simply that they wanted to "change up" the auction and I would be replaced.
I think my overwhelming reaction was one of sadness, combined with disappointment. I received no clear explanation nor reasoning and not a word of thanks for my past services.
The event that I had been part of was now casting me ashore - surplus to requirements.
Any regrets on how such a long association with the IPL came to its close?
It is sad that my involvement has ended this way and I leave with a heavy heart. The response from my many fans across India has been overwhelming. I thank them all for their kind words.
Whilst I am sad about the manner in which I was released, I can look back at 11 years of hard work, excitement, drama, entertainment, exhaustion, responsibility and friendships.
Maybe, I'm the luckiest auctioneer in the business who happened to be in the right time at the right place and helped change cricket forever.