Lucky Dip; Team Generation, Random Mutiny & Transfer Requests Procedure:
The player pool has initially been analysed according to cricketer class, value & availability to play. Any players regarded as highly unlikely to be able play any part at all are removed from the active pool entirely. The remaining players are assessed & subclassified according to whether we feel sure that they are likely to be available to play a majority of games in a season. Those that are, are sub-classified as A or B within a given class of cricketer, so as to split the class roughly into higher & lower cost players. Those players about whose availability we remain completely uncertain or who we believe unlikely to be able to commit to a majority of games are classified C.
The Lucky Dip Team is generated by 7 core selections from A & B, followed by 4 riskier choices from the full pool, A, B & C.
The 7 core players are selected as follows:
1 Batsman randomly selected from sub-class A; 1 Batsman from remaining A+B; 1 All Rounder from A, 1 AR from remaining A+B; 1 Wicket Keeper from A+B; 1 Bowler from A, 1 Bowler from remaining A+B.
For lucky dips specifying preferences, selections representative of preferred players are defined completed & the remaining selections are made until the 7 core players are selected.
Unless expressly specified by preference, the captain for a Lucky Dip team is then selected from the 7 core players, each with 1/7 chance of election.
The 4 random selections are made from the entire remaining active pool of players for each class, A, B & C.
The initial selection is made for class, according to the following probabilities: 7/25 Batsman; 9/25 All Rounder; 2/25 Wicket Keeper; 7/25 Bowler.
The class selection is repeated 4 times. Each time a class is selected the probabilities are adjusted so as to reduce its chance of repeated selection, as if a single representative is removed from a pool of initially 25 selections; so, for example, if the first random selection was a batsman, the probabilities for the second selection become: 6/24 Batsman; 9/24 AR; 2/24 WK & 7/24 Bowler; if the second is AR, the probabilities for the third selection become 6/23 Batsman; 8/23 AR; 2/23 WK & 7/23 Bowler; if AR is selected again, probabilities for the final selection become 6/22 Batsman; 7/22 AR; 2/22 WK & 7/22 Bowler. The following limits apply preventing more than 5 players being selected within a single class (or 3, for WKs); WKs 2; Bats, Bowlers & ARs 3. If the limit is reached, that class is withdrawn from the pool, excluded from further selection & the probabilities adjusted as if all remaining representatives for that class were removed. If, for example the first selection had been AR instead of Batsman, the probabilities for the final selection before excluding ARs would be: 7/22 Batsman, 6/22 AR, 2/22 WK & 7/22 Bowler; & removing the 6ARs leaves: 7/16 Batsman; 2/16 WK & 7/16 Bowler.
Once the classes for the 4 random selections have been determined, the individual is selected from the total remaining number available in sub-classes A, B & C for each case. If the total budget following the random selections exceeds £100Bn, all 4 random selections are made again. Then, as required, the pool of options is reduced so that the selection must fall within the £100Bn budget.
Mutiny
For all Lucky Dip teams which specify no captain or selection preferences, at the end of each fantasy week there is 8/25 chance of a mutiny. If a mutiny is determined, each of the 11 players has a 1/11 chance of election to serve as captain for the following weekend & beyond.
Lucky Dip Transfers
At the opening of the transfer window, for each Lucky Dip team, if any players have made 6 consecutive scores of 0 or less they will be automatically transfer listed & an attempt made to replace each of them, in turn, starting with the most expensive, to a maximum of 3 players, as per the procedure described below.
At the end of each week during the transfer window if a player has made their 6th consecutive score of 0 or less, they will be automatically transfer listed, but irrespective of automatic listings, each lucky dip team also has a 6/25 chance of a making a random transfer request. If a random transfer request is determined the 1-3 (equivalent to the number of free transfers remaining following action on any players scoring 6 consecutive 0s) lowest scoring players in the team, except any initially selected by preference or any which have been active in the team for fewer than 6 weeks, have an equivalent chance for one of them to be transferred out.
If a transfer request is determined for a player for which the class comprises only the minimum required number, the replacement is selected from within that same class from the remaining pool according to the remaining budget. If it does not, the replacement class is selected according to the probabilities of 7/25 Batsman; 9/25 All Rounder; 2/25 Wicket Keeper; 7/25 Bowler. The individual is then selected from the active pool according to budget.
If £12Bn or more remains spare in the budget after subtraction of the salary for the inactivated player, the replacement is selected from sub-class A only. If £8-11Bn remains, selection is from A+B, if £6-7Bn, from B only, & if £5Bn or less, from B+C only. If the replacement selected by either means is of such a value that the total budget would exceed £100Bn, the request is denied & the transfer falls through; no transfer is utilised.
If the budget remains below £100Bn following the exchange, the transfer is successful & its use is applied.
As the season progresses intelligence about player availabilities will change & individuals may change sub-classification accordingly. Any player known to be injured or otherwise indisposed to the extent that they will certainly not return to action during 2012 will be automatically removed from the active pool. Any lucky dip team containing such a reclassified player will be transfer listed & automatically put in a transfer request weekly during the transfer window until the player is successfully exchanged & a transfer is completed.