CWI house-painting with a roller
Mon, Jul 15, '19
On Monday July 8th, Cricket West Indies (CWI) released the list of players–both men and women–to be contracted for the 2019-2020 season. For the men’s senior team, contracts were distributed in three categories; all-format, red-ball and white-ball contracts. While the standard ‘central contracts’ were issued for West Indies Women. On the men’s side, three less than the maximum twenty-two players were contracted; these vacancies may be filled throughout the year. The ladies in maroon saw an increase of three, from the previous period, in contracted players; up from twelve to fifteen. The general idea behind central contracts is so a sporting nation’s governing body might have a say in the club competitions in which its players partake—protecting its assets—so that they might be fresh for international duty.
List for WINDIES Men
All-Format Contracts: Darren Bravo, Shimron Hetmyer, Jason Holder, Shai Hope, Alzarri Joseph, Keemo Paul and Kemar Roach.
Red-Ball Contracts: Kraigg Brathwaite, John Campbell, Roston Chase, Shane Dowrich, Shannon Gabriel and Jomel Warrican.
White-Ball Contracts: Fabian Allen, Carlos Brathwaite, Sheldon Cottrell, Nicholas Pooran, Rovman Powell and Oshane Thomas.
New players offered contracts for the 2019-20 season: Fabian Allen, Darren Bravo, John Campbell, Sheldon Cottrell, Nicholas Pooran, Oshane Thomas and Jomel Warrican.
Players not retained: Sunil Ambris, Devendra Bishoo, Miguel Cummins, Ashley Nurse, Kieran Powell and Raymon Reifer.
List for WINDIES Women
Players who retained contracts: Shemaine Campbelle, Shamilia Connell, Deandra Dottin, Afy Fletcher, Hayley Matthews, Chedean Nation, Shakera Selmana and Stafanie Taylor.
New players offered contracts for the 2019-20 season: Shabika Gajnabi, Shawnisha Hector, Chinelle Henry, Stacy-Ann King, Kycia Knight, Natasha McLean and Karishma Ramharack.
Players not retained: Reniece Boyce, Anisa Mohammed, Akeira Peters and Merissa Aguilleira (retired).
A Cricket West Indies media release stated that “verbal offers had been made to all players, and contracts will be issued in the next few weeks, as soon as CWI has concluded a new four-year Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) with the West Indies Players Association”. According to the same release, contracts are on condition that “each player achieves a minimum standard of fitness”.
Cricket West Indies’ infamous issues with this process has mainly referenced player refusals—the most recent being Evin Lewis, last October. This time around, though, eyebrows have been raised concerning the players rewarded with contracts, those overlooked, as well as the types of contracts certain players were offered. Raised eyebrows, of which, players such as Darren Bravo, Sunil Ambris and Rovman Powell have found themselves targets.
But with a policy that would have justified the rewarding of a central contract to Oral Tracey, CWI has shielded themselves from literally any objection that may be raised concerning the issued contracts. This, by stating that “contracts were offered to players who have achieved consistent performances for the West Indies throughout the evaluation period of April 1st last year to March 31st this year, and players who the Selection Panel believes will feature in the squads for all matches in the respective formats over the next contract year”.
Therefore, if one says that Darren Bravo is undeserving–based on his non-performance–of an-all format contract, CWI could reply, “the Selection Panel believes that Darren will feature in the squads for all matches in all formats over the next contract year”.
What about Sunil Ambris, you might say? “Well, Sunil’s performances were outside of the evaluation period of April 2018 to March 2019”.
Rovman Powell, one might inquire. “The Selection Panel believes Rovman will feature in the squads for all matches in the relevant formats over the next contract year”.
But, John Campbell only featured in single tour, within the evaluation period, before he was offered a central contract, someone might point out. “Well, the Selection Panel believes John will feature in the squads for all matches in the relevant format over the next contract year”.
Do you see my point?
There has also been questions as to why Nicholas Pooran was not offered an all-format contract. Have we, yet, asked ourselves the hard question: Does Nicholas Pooran want to play Test match cricket? We are all excited by the young left-hander’s talent, but we must remember, in all things, that we are the West Indies and, we, more so than any other cricketing nation, has had to face the wrath of the consequences of T20 leagues. Therefore, we must prepare ourselves to face the possibility that Pooran might not see himself as a Test cricketer. What then? Nothing, then. We accept it, move on and enjoy the Trinidadian when he puts on WINDIES colours.
