By Justin Langer Former Australia opener and IPL player

Ganguly is mobbed by the media as he attends the auction

The historic Indian Premier League player auction is likely to become one of the most significant events in the rich history of the game.

The fascination in Australia with the auction process was electrifying - not least for me given I was one of those being offered up for bidding!

In many ways the mystery of the IPL added to the drama, but when all the dust of the night settled, two sensational facts stood out like a lighthouse in a darkened sky.

Firstly, Twenty20 cricket is about to take the world by storm.

In some quarters there were raised eyebrows when the Twenty20 World Championship was contested last year.

International cricket is going to have to be very careful it doesn't lose its integrity Justin Langer

Some would have argued it was too soon to make such a big deal of the shortest form of the game, but after Wednesday night, there is little doubt that we are on the verge of cricket's version of a Twenty20 tsunami.

Secondly, international cricket is going to have to be very careful it doesn't lose its integrity.

Cricket at the highest level is great because of the intense competition between patriotic and highly skilled performers who proudly represent their countries.

Of course, it would be na�ve to suggest international cricket isn't a massive business, but we can only hope players aren't taken from the international scene by the lure of the big dollar.

Before the auction, I argued that I didn't see this happening, but going by the astronomical figures attained, we will have to tread warily to ensure the integrity of the game stays strong and heading in an upward direction.

The auctioning process was an interesting one from my point of view.

In many ways it was a bit like the schoolyard selection process. The big kids always got picked first while all the smaller kids stood in line dreading that they would be the last one picked.

We were online here in Perth waiting and waiting but it wasn't until I received a text message the morning after that I knew that I had been allocated to my franchise team.

Warne and Langer will join up at Jaipur while McGrath will play for Delhi

For the record, Jaipur snapped me up for $200,000 (�102,000) and I will join my old Australia team-mate Shane Warne and South Africa captain Graeme Smith.

Due to my county commitments at Somerset I am unavailable to play in this first year, but I, like everyone else, will be fascinated to see just how big an impact this tournament has.

The most interesting part of the auction for me was not only the figures but also the allocation of players.

Six months ago when the IPL was tabled it seemed like it might be nothing more than an exhibition-style tournament.

Players like Warne, Glenn McGrath and Stephen Fleming were the faces of this new-age circuit.

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But going on the auction results, the big money and allocation doesn't reflect exhibition but rather a deadly serious competition between proud and eager franchisees.

With this in mind, the big money didn't necessarily go to the big names and faces but rather to the perceived best players in this form of the game.

While Twenty20 cricket may have started out as a bit of a hit-and-giggle contest it is now a serious, serious business which is flexing its muscles as the world of cricket steps into a whole new era.

From Perth,
JL