MCL auction: 5 best bargain buys

Jacques Kallis was the highest-paid player in the MCL auction as he was snapped up for $175,000 by Libra Legends, beating Adam Gilchrist who cost the Sagittarius Soldiers franchise $170,000. Although there were three players who were sold for over $150,000, there were still plenty of bargains to be had in the MCL auction.The icon players were all sold and the marquee names all attracted plenty of money, but the ones that cost the most aren't always the best buys.Let us take a look at the five best bargain buys in the auction.

#5 Rana Naved-ul-Hasan

Rana has played more than 80 matches in all formats for Pakistan

Bought for $38,000 by Gemini Arabians

T20 is a format where you need to give it your all at any given time and not be afraid to trust your instinct. The former Pakistani fast bowler Rana Naved-ul-Hasan is perhaps the perfect example of a bowler who wore his heart on his sleeve.

Despite making his debut almost a decade before the advent of T20, Rana's skills and adaptability made him a deadly bowler in the shortest format of the game. Over 150 wickets at an economy rate of just 7 is a testament to his abilities with the ball.

Like most Pakistan fast bowlers of his generation, his ability to bowl a yorker at will is arguably his greatest strength. To go along with that, his variation of pace and ability to control his line and length makes him a perfect T20 bowler.

#4 Jonty Rhodes

Rhodes has never played in a competitive T20 match

Bought for $40,000 by Virgo Super Kings

Anyone who saw the Cricket All Stars could not have helped but wonder if Jonty Rhodes was an anachronism. The reverse sweeps, the scoops and the way in which he maneuvered the ball to all corners of the park was eerily similar to a current South African batsman, who is the undisputed No.1 T20 batsman, AB de Villiers.

Despite retiring the same year that T20 was invented, the way in which he batted last month, makes one wonder just how good Rhodes could have been in the modern era. He may be 46 but he still looks fit as a fiddle and could even give some current players a run for their money.

So it was certainly surprising to see Rhodes go for just a little over his base price of $30,000. But one thing is for certain, if he keeps up the form he showed in the All-Stars, Virgo Super Kings will not only get one of the best fielders to have ever played the game, but also one of the most innovative batsman of the tournament.

#3 Dirk Nannes

Nannes is one of only six bowlers to have taken more than 250 T20 wickets

Bought for $40,000 by Virgo Super Kings

Dirk Nannes may have been an "accidental cricketer", but there is little doubt that the left arm fast bowler could make the cricket ball talk, when he was on top of his game. A T20 specialist, who has represented both Australia and Netherlands, Nannes was incredibly hard to get away in the shortest format of the game.

He gave up the longer formats in favour of T20s and that was a move that paid rich dividends for the Victoria-born bowler. He is one of only six bowlers to have taken 250 or more T20 wickets and has played in domestic T20 competitions in seven countries.

257 wickets in 215 matches at an economy rate under 7.5 tells a tale of an impressive T20 bowler, who was extremely good at what he did. Capable of bowling accurate yorkers at will, Nannes will prove to be a handy player for the Virgo Super Kings, who snapped him up for just $40,000, which for a player who is yet to turn 40, is a bargain.

#2 Krishmar Santokie

Santokie played 12 times for West Indies

Bought for $35,000 by Capricorn Commanders

The popularity of the T20 format, ever since its inception more than a decade ago has given rise to specialist bowlers, who excel at the format, but aren't always effective in the longer formats. Former West Indian fast bowler Krishmar Santokie is arguably the perfect example of this trend, as the T20 specialist hasn't played a first-class game in his career.

In the T20 format however, Santokie is brilliant. 134 wickets from 80 T20 matches might have been good enough on its own to get him a place on this list of best bargain buys, the fact that those wickets came at an economy rate of just 6.7 is the reason why he is number two on this list.

Capable of mixing his pace, bowling deadly yorkers and deceptively quick short balls, Santokie is a product of the modern game. The fact that he is only 30 and was effective in the recently concluded Carribean Premier League shows that the left-arm seamer might be one to watch out for in the inaugural MCL.

#1 Johan Botha

Botha is a skillful customer with both bat and ball

Bought for $46,000 by Team Leo

With the tournament being played in the UAE, the value of a good spinner cannot be underestimated, especially because of the format. So it was certainly a surprise to see Johan Botha to go for so little, considering the value he brings to the side, with both bat and ball.

A career T20 economy rate of 6.3 after 176 games is nothing short of stupendous. While he isn't always a wicket-taking option with the ball, the fact that he can bowl during the power play, during the middle overs and at the death, makes him an ideal bowler to have.

His impressive bowling figures, coupled with the fact that he is more than handy with the willow (averages almost 20 with the bat), makes him a bargain at just $46,000. Another reason why, he is the best bargain signing in the auction is the fact that he is just 33 and he still plays competitive cricket in various T20 tournaments around the world.