Team owners prefer value-for-money younger players first-up and pick more expensive veteran stars in final lot
Men who matter: Dharmaraj Ravanan (sitting, extreme left), Mehtab Hossain, Syed Rahim Nabi, Steven Dias and Climax Lawrence. Standing (l to r) Jeje Lalpekhlua, Nirmal Chettri, Denzil Franco, Gouramangi Singh, Lenny Rodrigues & Subrata Paul at ISL drafts D
He may have 81 caps for India, but yesterday veteran midfielder Climax Lawrence was among the last lot of players to be picked on final day of the two-day Indian Super League ISL draft. The midfielder will turn out for Atletico de Kolkata.
Men who matter: Dharmaraj Ravanan sitting, extreme left, Mehtab Hossain, Syed Rahim Nabi, Steven Dias and Climax Lawrence. Standing l to r Jeje Lalpekhlua, Nirmal Chettri, Denzil Franco, Gouramangi Singh, Lenny Rodrigues & Subrata Paul at ISL draft-s Day 2
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Other senior players like Anwar Ali 31 India caps, NP Pradeep 50 caps, Renedy Singh 72 caps and Mehrajuddin Wadoo 31 India caps also endured similar fates on the second day of the draft for national players.
Centre-back Anwar will play for Delhi Dynamos FC, winger Renedy will represent Kerala Blasters FC, midfielder Pradeep will play for Team Bengaluru and Mehrajuddin will turn out in FC Pune City-s colours.
Evidently reputation counted for little in the draft as teams went for young players. "Some of these veteran players have not exactly been in the best of form or fitness over the last two years. Besides, we expect most of the players in the foreign draft pool to be veteran players anyway, so we will not have a dearth of experience in the squad.
"You must also bear in mind that many clubs will have foreign coaches coming in and it will be more difficult for them to iron out the technical flaws, if any, of players who are 30 or 35 your than say the 20-year-olds. Plus, we had to mind our budgets because these veterans were expensive — not value-for-money signings," a franchise owner told mid-day after the draft.
Climax, meanwhile, was glad to be playing for the Kolkata franchise, having played for Kolkata giants East Bengal.
"I feel very good. I have played for East Bengal. I am really happy to meet the supporters again in Kolkata… Kolkata is a good team and we have to work hard," he said at a press conference yesterday.
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