IPL 2014 Auctions: Five players who should have been retained

Clean Up seems to be the mantra for most of the franchises in the Indian Premier League this time.

The Delhi Daredevils’ decision not to retain any of its players is a clear indication that the auctions in February are going to be a close affair. Everyone would prefer to start with a clean slate – a concept lost on the Chennai, Mumbai and Rajasthan units for obvious reasons – and the current season’s selection process presents a golden opportunity.

Retention, however, is a double-edged sword. In a move that has long baffled me, consistent performers seem to miss the bus when it comes to a new season, and the franchises start looking for fresh faces. Making such decisions is a tricky business, yes, but surprising too. Million-dollar man Glenn Maxwell is one such omission, despite having played a few good innings for Mumbai. Ryan McLaren and Morne Morkel are other surprise exclusions, as is veteran left-hander Mike Hussey.

Here is a list of five players who ought to have been retained by their current franchises:

Albie Morkel

Albie Morkel – No reward for consistency?

It is widely known that MS Dhoni prefers to have seam-bowling all-rounders in his side. So, picking Dwayne Bravo over the South African T20 star must have been tough for the Super Kings.

But, I’m not quite sure if they made the right choice. Albie has been a rock-solid performer for the yellow brigade in almost all the seasons. Not many would have managed to smash 28 runs in a single over, while chasing a stiff target; the left-handed Morkel did it nonchalantly. Despite the fact that the bowler at the receiving end was Virat Kohli, who is not known for his bowling exploits, scoring that many runs was no mean feat.

I suppose consistency, as understood by the CSK management, is not a condition for automatic retention. Nevertheless, I hope they realize their monumental error soon, for if they lose the Pretoria native to anyone else, they would be in for a lot of misery.