BRIDGETOWN, Barbados (CMC) — West Indies Women's chief selector, Ann Browne-John, has underscored the importance of a multi-faceted approach for determining central retainer contracts for the Caribbean side.
While pointing out that performance remained central to the criteria, the veteran administrator said there were other factors which needed to be considered in the process, if Cricket West Indies was to maximize its talent pool.
“There are a number of factors that you look at when you are awarding contracts,” she told an online media conference on Friday.
“You look at performance, you look at longevity, you look at development because some players will get a senior contract and some people will get a development contract.
Cricket West Indies (CWI) chief of selectors, Roger Harper, believes it is an absolute necessity for players to get used to the idea of having to perform at the very top of their games in order to secure top-class retainer contracts.
The omission of the likes of Roston Chase, Shimron Hetmyer, Shamarh Brooks, Shane Dowrich, Sheldon Cottrell, Rovman Powell, and Oshane Thomas from the international retainer contracts lists, for the upcoming year, has rubbed a few supporters the wrong way. Particularly, based on the fact that fewer contracts were handed out this year.
However, according to Harper, some players did not meet the minimum criteria for selection or simply did not display the quality need.
“We have to accept that these are performance-based contracts. So, the contracts are awarded based on performance during the evaluation period, as well as the selection panel must feel that the players must play a major role or form the nucleus of the team going forward,” Harper told members of the media on Thursday.
The Guyana Cricket Board (GCB) has written to Cricket West Indies requesting a copy of the criteria used to award international retainer contracts and the report submitted by the selection panel on which the decision was made not to award international retainer contracts to Shimron Hetmyer, Keemo Paul and Romario Shepherd as well as Veerasammy Permaul.
The missive to the CWI comes on the heels of the recent announcement by CWI of 18 players who were offered retainer contracts for the year July 1, 2021-June 30, 2022. Among those who were awarded were newcomers Kyle Mayers, Joshua Da Silva and Nkrumah Bonner, who had standout performances against Bangladesh and Sri Lanka.
“The Guyana Cricket Board (GCB) notes with great concern the information that Shimron Hetmyer, Keemo Paul and Romario Shepherd were not awarded International Retainer Contracts by the Cricket West Indies (CWI),” the board said in a statement Friday.
LONDON – Fast bowler Alzarri Joseph was thrifty but lacked penetration as Warwickshire kept Worcestershire in the field for the entirety of day one of their County Championship clash on Thursday.
Sent in at Edgbaston, the hosts reached 271 for seven with 21-year-old opener Robert Yates top-scoring with 104 and wicketkeeper Michael Burgess weighing in with 65 not out.
Joseph, in his third match for the club, went wicketless from 18 overs which cost only 49 runs.
“If we are honest, we were poor in the first session,” said Worcestershire captain Joe Leach, who snared two for 51.
“There was a little bit of help in the wicket but we just didn’t capitalize on it.”
Cricket West Indies (CWI) chief of selectors, Roger Harper, has admitted that there is some concern over the form of batsman Shimron Hetmyer after the player failed to secure a retainer contract.
The 24-year-old explosive batsman has been previously heralded as one of West Indies cricket’s brightest prospects but has not been at his best in recent seasons.
Hetmyer has not played a Test for the regional team since 2019, against Afghanistan, and has not played in a One Day International since January of last year, against Ireland. In addition to that, the player has twice failed fitness tests during the period.
“I still think Shimron is the type of player that has the ability to be a world-class player in every format going forward,” Harper told members of the media via an online video chat on Thursday.
