The West Indies Cricket Board has refused to confirm whether marquee batsman Darren Bravo was offered a lower level Grade C central contract for the upcoming year.
The Trinidad NewsDay reported yesterday that the 27-year-old leader of the West Indies batting group had been overlooked for a top tier retainer, and given a Grade C contract worth US$100 000.
Earlier this week, the WICB disclosed that Bravo had declined a retainer contract, along with veteran batsman Marlon Samuels and Twenty20 captain Carlos Brathwaite. WICB communications manager, Carole Beckford, subsequently told the NewsDay the board did not have a policy of releasing information on player contract scales.
“No, we wouldn’t give that information. If the players want to reveal their scales that’s fine but we don’t,” she was quoted as saying.
“We have supplied the ranges in the last press release and we thought that was sufficient.”
She continued: “I don’t think it’s important or necessary to give the scale. We have decided that we’re not giving the scale, that the range is sufficient.

read more at Trinidad Express

"Apart from Samuels, the left-handed Bravo is the most experienced member of the Windies batting line-up, having played 49 Tests and scored 3400 runs at an average of 40. He is also a treasured member of the one-day team where he has played 94 games and averages 32. According to the newspaper report, Bravo would have joined the likes of Test novices Jomel Warrican and Alzarri Joseph as players with Grade C contracts. Grade A is the highest level contract on offer and is worth US$150 000, with Grade B valued at $125 000 and Grade C, $100 000. Twenty-three year-old opener Kraigg Brathwaite was given a Grade A contract while Test and one-day captain Jason Holder secured a Grade B, the NewsDay reported."

In reply to mikesiva

I find it disrespectful and inappropriate contract offer to one of WI marquee batsman and one who should been now groomed to take over as WI Captain. I am at a lost as to WICB reasons.

A lot a ppl go university and graduate and cant find a wuk in the republic - this entitlement thing being paraded here must be viewed in context

In reply to XDFIX

Consider that the player had previously refused lucrative offers to play T20 because he wanted to focus on improving his batting for WI and thus choose WI over other teams. Is this his loyalty reward ?

In reply to Slipfeeler

I made the point earlier on another thread that Bravo deserves a better contract than C grade as that grade seems to be for ppl just coming into the squad

That said, going forward WICB might just have hit on the perfect contractual arrangement - serendipity I would call it!

Pay for performance contract rather than pay or contract on the basis of seniority

In reply to XDFIX

Well agree with you on pay for performance but the same agreement should go for all WI players.

Let me repeat :

IT IS ALL ABOUT MEETING THEIR SALARY

CAP . AND AS ALWAYS SPITEFULNESS .

I am sure the likes of Tony Becca et al aint going utter a word about this
they only come alive when they detect
perceived disrespect by the Players .

Meanwhile many in this Forum & in the
Region worship the very earth the Worst International Cricket Board in
the Commonwealth ; aka the WICBC .

In reply to POINT

Seems like an intention of relieving themselves of senior players who might demand more for less experienced players who will eagerly grab any contract agreement.

This is what could happen when there is no effective players' representative...

WIPA has no members..who is Hinds representing?

In reply to Narper

WIPA is now ruled by WIBC, no real player represention, Chris Gayle and Dwayne Bravo are the only unofficial player reps!

In reply to Narper

Now the thought just came to me that in all US professional sports the players all have their own management to look after their contract agreements and to procure the best contract available for their clients. So why has Chris Gayle, Dwayne Bravo etal have not attempted to form a legal and official player representation service for these younger players and to work out contract agreements with WICB, of course they will need legal guidance from qualified lawyers.

In reply to Slipfeeler

You have hit the Nail on its head . It
is very obvious that the WICBC is actively engaging in getting rid of Players by deliberately offering them
smaller salaries , with the full knowledge that the Players will not accept the salaries being offered to
them .

In addition , the WICBC uses this tactic to get their mouthpieces in the Media to talk about Players being greedy & ungrateful .

This is then filtered down the Cricket Fans in the Region . Who do not consider the injustices done to Players .

Quite frankly it is all an elaborate
scheme to make the people in the governance of Cricket in the Region look like Saints , while the stiff people like Bravo et al .

The problem is that the WICBC states
that it is only going to recognize
WIPA as the bargaining Entity for
Players .

Some years ago when Wavell Hinds became the President of WIPA ; in this
very Forum I stated that The Players
who were betrayed by Wavell Hinds ,
needed to get Legal Advice from top notch Lawyers whose speciality is in
Contract Negotiations .

In my opinion , the idea that the WICBC is only going to recognize WIPA
as the bargaining entity for players

: MUST BE TESTED IN A COURT OF LAW .

I am not a Lawyer , however it seems to me that the WICBC stating that it
is only going to recognize WIPA as the only bargaining Entity for Players is wrong . Especially since the Players are being forced to deal with WIPA , when they have problems
with WIPA being in bed with the WICBC .