>GreenC bot at 15:44, 14 April 2021

2021-04-14T15:44:40Z

New page

{{see also|Marquee player}}

'''Icon player''' is a status given to an athlete to indicate that they are the most valued player in the team. The title is most commonly currently used in domestic cricket, particularly in the [[Bangladesh Premier League]], [[Afghanistan Premier League]] and [[Euro T20 Slam]]. It was previously used in [[Indian Premier League]], [[Pakistan Super League]] and [[Global T20 Canada]]. The status can sometimes denote that the player will be among the first to be [[Draft (sports)|drafted]] or auctioned in the league.

==Indian Premier League==

Icon player was a status given to five players of the [[Indian Premier League]]. They were not a part of the first IPL players auction, which was held in 2008. They played for the team they were assigned to. The icon players received 15% percent more money than the highest-paid player of the team bought in the auction.<ref>[http://content-www.cricinfo.com/ipl/content/story/337776.html Cricinfo - IPL to decide on 'icon' status for Sehwag and Laxman]</ref> As of the 2010 season, the clause pertaining to icon players has been removed on account of complaints by franchises with icon players that having these players was a handicap in the player auction.<ref>{{cite news|url=http://articles.timesofindia.indiatimes.com/2009-08-12/top-stories/28159832_1_ipl-tournament-indian-premier-league-icon-players|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110811034823/http://articles.timesofindia.indiatimes.com/2009-08-12/top-stories/28159832_1_ipl-tournament-indian-premier-league-icon-players|url-status=dead|archive-date=2011-08-11|title=IPL bids goodbye to 'icon' players|date=2009-08-12|access-date=2010-02-11|first1=K Shriniwas|work=[[The Times of India]]|last1=Rao}}</ref>

Initially there were four icon players designated by the Indian Premier League organizing committee: [[Sachin Tendulkar]] for [[Mumbai Indians]], [[Sourav Ganguly]] for [[Kolkata Knight Riders]], [[Rahul Dravid]] for [[Royal Challengers Bangalore]], and [[Yuvraj Singh]] for [[Kings XI Punjab]]. Later, on the request of [[Delhi Daredevils]], [[Virender Sehwag]]'s name was added to the list. [[Deccan Chargers]] also asked for Icon Player status to be given to [[VVS Laxman]], but he declined the offer in order to allow the franchise to spend more money on other players and still not breach the [[US$]]5 million salary cap.<ref>{{cite news| url=http://www.telegraphindia.com/1080221/jsp/sports/story_8930131.jsp | location=Calcutta, India | work=The Telegraph | title=Laxman truly is special | date=2008-02-21}}</ref> The purpose behind designating the icon players is to ensure that top draw players will represent their respective city sides, which is important for the league to increase fan support and interest among the locals.

It has been reported that all the franchises with icon players felt that having the icon player was a handicap in the player auction, as the money spent on the icon resulted in less room under the salary cap to purchase other players.<ref>{{cite news| url=http://cricket.indiatimes.com/Icons_proved_a_handicap_complain_IPL_franchisees/articleshow/2802685.cms | work=The Times Of India | title=Cricket}}</ref> For example, the presence of [[Sachin Tendulkar]] as an icon player was cited as the main reason why [[Mumbai Indians]] could not compete with [[Chennai Super Kings]] for [[Mahendra Singh Dhoni]].<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.rtbot.net/icon_player|title=Icon Player Information|publisher=RTBot.net}}</ref>

==Pakistan Super League==

The Icon player status was given to five players in the first season of the [[Pakistan Super League]]. The five players would be the first five to be drafted in the league so that every team would have an Icon player. The title was not exclusive to Pakistani players and three out of the five icon players were foreigners.<ref>{{cite web|last1=Toqui|first1=Tahmid|title=Pakistan Super League draft system and player Salary|url=http://www.tsmplug.com/cricket/pakistan-super-league-draft-system-and-player-salary/|website=TSM Plug|access-date=10 August 2016}}</ref>

The decision created controversy as it was reported that [[Pakistan Cricket Team|Pakistan's]] captain, [[Misbah-ul-Haq]] and highest test scoring batsman, [[Younus Khan]] were unhappy with their exclusion as icon players and threatened to skip the league if they were not given leadership roles.<ref>{{cite web|title=PSL icon players snub angers Misbah, Younis|url=http://www.thehindu.com/sport/cricket/pakistan-super-league-twenty20-tournament-psl-icon-players-snub-angers-mishahulhaq-and-younis-khan/article7999987.ece|website=The Hindu|access-date=10 August 2016}}</ref>

==Bangladesh Premier League==
Icon player status was given to six players of the six team in the [[Bangladesh Premier League]]. Icon player status was available only for the [[2012 Bangladesh Premier League|first season]]. Icon players' base prize was {{USD}} 210,000. They were not included in the [[2012 Bangladesh Premier League player auction|auction list]], and they would receive 15% more than the highest-paid local players. Later, icon status was excluded in the [[2012–13 Bangladesh Premier League|next season]] and first category local players were categorized as ''Golden Category''.
Again the icon category was introduced in the [[2015 Bangladesh Premier League]] with a base price of {{USD}} 50,000.<ref name="2013 BPL auction">{{cite web |url=http://www.espncricinfo.com/bangladesh/content/story/931699.html |title=Nineteen overseas player picked in BPL auction| work=ESPNCricinfo| date=22 October 2015| author=Mohammad Isam}}</ref>

==List of icon players in the BPL==
* [[Mushfiqur Rahim]] for [[Comilla Victorians]]
* TBD for [[Dhaka Dynamites]]
* [[Tamim Iqbal]] for [[Khulna Titans]]
* [[Mustafizur Rahman]] for [[Rajshahi Kings]]
* [[Shakib Al Hasan]] for [[Rangpur Riders]]
* [[Liton Das]] for [[Sylhet Sixers]]

==List of icon players in the APL==
* [[Chris Gayle]] for [[Balkh Legends]]
* [[Rashid Khan (cricketer)|Rashid Khan]] for [[Kabul Zwanan]]
* [[Brendon McCullum]] for [[Kandahar Knights]]
* [[Andre Russell]] for [[Nangarhar Leopards]]
* [[Shahid Afridi]] for [[Paktia Panthers]]

==List of icon players in the ET20 Slam==
* [[Shane Watson]] for Amsterdam Knights
* [[Shahid Afridi]] for Belfast Titans
* [[Eoin Morgan]] for Dublin Chiefs
* [[Martin Guptill]] for Edinburgh Rocks
* [[Brendon McCullum]] for Glasgow Giants
* [[Rashid Khan (cricketer)|Rashid Khan]] for Rotterdam Rhinos

==References==
{{reflist}}

==External links==
* [http://www.iplt20.com/ Official Indian Premier League Site]
* [http://www.psl-t20.com/ Officiak Pakistan Super League Site]

{{Indian Premier League}}
{{Bangladesh Premier League}}
{{Pakistan Super League}}
[[Category:Indian Premier League]]
[[Category:Bangladesh Premier League]]
[[Category:Pakistan Super League]]

Icon player - Revision history

>GreenC bot at 15:44, 14 April 2021