Ponting upset about his low price tag

While most players who were auctioned on Wednesday are over the moon but Aussie skipper Ricky Ponting has reportedly expressed his disappointment that he didn't sell for more. Ponting, who was bought by Kolkata for just Rs. 1.6 crores said he was expecting more than that.

The Australian skipper, though, dismissed suggestions that the auction would cause friction in the dressing room. However, Ponting did joke that from now on whenever he and Andrew Symonds go out, he will be expecting Symonds to pay!

On a more serious note, Ponting did concede that most Australian players have concerns about touring Pakistan.

Symonds had said on Wednesday that he will almost certainly pull if the tour does go ahead.

Meanwhile, the International Cricket Council (ICC) has made it clear that its schedule is in place for the next four years and will not change.

"There has been a lot of media speculation about a window being cut out of the tour programme so that the IPL can fit in on an annual basis. That issue wasn't raised by the BCCI. The Futures Tours Programme that regulates cricket matches for the 10 full-member countries and the associate member countries is in place till 2012 and there is no suggestion that a window will be cut out to accommodate the IPL," ICC Chief Executive Malcolm Speed said.

IPL has created history: Lee

Comparing the Indian Premier League to the 1970s World Series Cricket, Australia's pace spearhead Brett Lee said the cash-rich Twenty20 venture has created history in the game.

Lee, who was sold for a whopping Rs 3.6 crore at the IPL auction in Mumbai on Wednesday, said the Indian initiative would revolutionise cricket.

"I think it's definitely history. If we look back in 10 years time this is going to be a massive landmark in cricket I think. It's a bit like when the World Series started," Lee was quoted as saying in The Daily Telegraph.

The tearaway bowler, however, did not think that IPL would anyway affect the traditional form of the game - Test cricket.

"It's completely different from Test cricket, it's completely different from one-day cricket," Lee said.

"I've always enjoyed putting the baggy green cap on and I've loved playing one-day cricket, but since Twenty20 cricket has come in it's been pretty exciting.

"To me we take it serious and enjoy it, but it's also having a bit of fun."

Lee, who was bought by Bollywood star Preity Zinta-owned Mohali franchise, also supported the auction process of players.

"I'm pretty excited. I think it's a really different way to do it," he said.

Left-arm seamer Nathan Bracken, who was also auctioned for IPL Twenty20 contest, was also excited about the league.

"You want to know what you are worth and you don't want to know what you are worth. It's a catch-22 but I think it's a good opportunity to play some more cricket," he said.

IPL will be bloody exciting: Hayden

Veteran Australian opening batsman Matthew Hayden says the Indian Premier League has the potential to effect "significant changes" in world cricket. Hayden, bought by the Chennai franchise of the IPL, said since the Indian venture was based on Twenty20 concept it would provide ample entertainment to the fans.

"It's a game which gives all the players the chance to be part of a competition to ignite cricket," Hayden was quoted as saying in The Australian.

"I get the feeling that the IPL and other Twenty20 competitions will lead to significant changes in cricket, not dissimilar to the way Super 14s has moved rugby forward," he added.

The leading run-scorer in last year's Twenty20 World Cup in South Africa, Hayden said the exciting nature of the game would woo more crowds in future.

"This is going to have significant implications in the way cricket will be viewed and played.

"If I was a consumer of the game I would want to go and see it because it's bloody exciting.

"It's still got all the skills. When players start to really get amongst this game and start specifically training for it, it can only get better."

Hayden said he loved his role of pinch-hitting in Twenty20 cricket.

"I am employed to pinch-hit, so the elements I have been working on in my batting over the years have been boundary hitting, power hitting," he said.

"I have adapted my game to become a power athlete over time. And that's why I reckon Australia has been the dominant side in 50-overs cricket. Our batting line-up is full of power hitters, with the odd touch player like a Michael Clarke or a Michael Hussey.

"I've got a pretty good idea how I want to play it (Twenty20) after the Twenty20 World Cup," Hayden said. While backing shorter versions of cricket, Hayden, however, was critical of the ongoing tri-series in Australia.

"This current structure with the tri-nations is a really tired system.

"I am really looking forward to the new structure in one-day cricket where you will feel more like you have got something on the line each game, rather than having two or three dead rubbers going into the finals if a side dominates," he said.