Pietersen to get $1.3 million base price in IPL

report from cricinfo

	The bidding for Kevin Pietersen will start at $1.3 million © Getty Images

Kevin Pietersen could become the IPL's highest-paid cricketer when he goes on sale at the auction on February 6 with a base price of $1.3 million, according to a newspaper report. Chennai Super Kings' Mahendra Singh Dhoni is currently the league's most expensive player: he was bought for $1.5 million after having a base price of $400,000.

Daily Telegraph reported that, apart from Pietersen, Andrew Flintoff has been valued at $900,000, while the base price for other England players, though it is yet to be decided, is unlikely to be higher than $250,000. England's centrally-contracted players will be available for only 21 days of the 2009 IPL season and will be paid on a pro-rata basis.

Dominic Cork, Sajid Mahmood, Ed Joyce, Darren Gough, Rob Key and James Foster were some of the other players who were added to the auction list sent to the franchise owners, the report said.

Related reports claimed that Michael Clarke, the Australia vice-captain, will be listed for the auction at a base price of $ 1 million. However, the Australian newspaper reported that Clarke was yet to decide on his participation in the IPL.

Senior IPL officials, however, refused to confirm the figures that have been reported and said that the final list of players, including their base prices, was still being finalised. "It would be premature to talk figures now as we are still in the final stages of negotiations with various players," an IPL official told Cricinfo. The official said that a clear picture would emerge in a day or two.

The IPL has fixed $2 million as the maximum amount a franchise can spend at the auction.