Twenty West Indian cricketers are benefiting from enhanced central retainer contracts.
And for the first time, the contracts have been split into three groups – all-format contracts, red-ball contracts and white-ball contracts.
Cricket West Indies (CWI) last night announced the list of players offered one-year contracts which were effective from October last year.
While not revealing the value of the contracts, CWI chief executive officer Johnny Grave said the new arrangements would result in a better payday for the players.
“The new retainer contracts aim to incentivise our players to play cricket for the Windies and be contracted to CWI,” he said.
“All the new contracts offer increased remuneration to our Windies men’s team as well as enhanced medical and insurance policies.”
In the past, retainer contracts were offered on three different pay scales with Grade “A” contracts reportedly worth US$150 000, Grade “B” US$125 000 and Grade “C” US$100 000. These contracts are on top of regular match/tour fees.
Test and One-Day International captain Jason Holder heads a list of five players offered all-format contracts to cover the three forms of the game.
Test vice-captain Kraigg Brathwaite is one of nine players given red-ball contracts for Test cricket, while Twenty20 captain Carlos Brathwaite is among six players offered white-ball contracts for the 50-over and 20-over formats.
The process of selecting players was completed last July, ahead of the domestic contracts being issued to the 90 regional professional cricketers on August 1.
While the new Windies men’s contracts will officially run from October 2017 to September 2018, Grave confirmed that new retainers would be offered to the Windies men’s team and regional players on July 1, so that all professional cricketers start new contracts on the same date.
He added that these enhanced contracts illustrate how CWI has made significant progress and is able to support and add new incentives to our international players.
“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 said.
“All future contracts for all of our professional cricketers will start on the same date, July 1, which will become the start of our cricketing year.”
In a media release, CWI said under the new arrangement, the selection panel would be able to award up to 11 all format contracts and up to an aggregate of 11 red and white ball contracts to a maximum 18 contracts in total (not including development).
It also said up to four new development contracts could also be offered to players in both red and white ball categories for those who are yet to fully establish themselves in the starting XIs and, therefore, not secured a full retainer contract, but are likely to be selected in the year ahead. (HG/PR)
