ST JOHN’S, Antigua (CMC) – Test and one-day captain Jason Holder was one of five players rewarded with new all-format contracts worth up to US$200 000, as Cricket West Indies (CWI) announced a new range of retainers contracts, aimed at encouraging players to commit to representing the regional side.
A release from CWI said retainer contracts would now be offered in three categories – all-format contracts, red-ball contracts and white-ball contracts – in keeping with “different formats of the sport.”
Holder has been joined by fellow fast bowlers Shannon Gabriel and Alzarri Joseph, batsman Shai Hope and leg-spinner Devendra Bishoo, on the new all-format contracts.
“The new retainer contracts aim to incentivise our players to play cricket for the Windies and be contracted to CWI,” said CWI chief executive, Johnny Grave.
“All the new contracts offer increased remuneration to our Windies men’s team as well as enhanced medical and insurance policies.”
While CWI did not reveal the value of the new retainers, CMC Sports understands that all-format contracts will be worth as much as US$200 000 per year while red-ball contracts will be capped at around US$140 000.
Players on white-ball contracts will rake in as much as $120 000.
Grave said the retainers reflected the “significant progress” CWI had made in incentivising international players.
Contracts will run from October 17 last year until September this year, but Grave said renewals would take place on July 1 to ensure all professional contracts had the same start date.
Player selection for retainers was completed in July last year, a month before domestic contracts were issued.
Leading opener Kraigg Brathwaite heads the list of players with red-ball contracts, with Roston Chase, Shane Dowrich, Jermaine Blackwood, Miguel Cummins, Jomel Warrican also signing on.
Left-arm spinner Warrican is an interesting choice, having played the last of his four Tests two years ago.
Shimron Hetmyer and Kieran Powell, both members of the Test squad, have been offered developmental red-ball contracts along with West Indies A star Vishaul Singh, who played a couple of Tests against Pakistan last year.
West Indies Twenty20 captain Carlos Brathwaite tops the group of players on white-ball contracts and is joined by Ashley Nurse, Jason Mohammed, Evin Lewis and Rovman Powell, with seamer Kesrick Williams on a developmental contract.
“These new contracts will embrace additional terms and conditions which will set out the responsibilities of both player and CWI to each other, together with ensuring that the players are contractually bound to new and existing policies that aim to further increase standards,” Grave noted.
Development contracts have been offered to those players yet to fully establish themselves in the starting XIs.
List of retained players
All-format contracts – Jason Holder, Shannon Gabriel, Shai Hope, Alzarri Joseph, Devendra Bishoo
RED-BALL contracts – Kraigg Brathwaite, Roston Chase, Shane Dowrich, Jermaine Blackwood, Miguel Cummins, Jomel Warrican (Development – Shimron Hetmyer, Kieran Powell, Vishaul Singh)
WHITE-BALL contracts – Carlos Brathwaite, Ashley Nurse, Jason Mohammed, Evin Lewis, Rovman Powell (Development – Kesrick Williams).
