In what should be seen as a big blow to West Indies’ cricketing ambitions, the likes of Nicholas Pooran, Jason Holder and Kyle Mayers have turned down West Indies’ central contract for 2024-25. Cricket West Indies (CWI), recently, put out an official statement, naming all the players included in the central contract for next year.
The trio of Nicholas Pooran, Holder and Mayers have declined to take the offer, however, all three will be available for the T20I series for the coming year. That means that they won’t be seen in the Test as well as the ODI series.
The absence of the trio could hurt West Indies’ performance across formats, as far as bilateral series are concerned. This isn’t the first time such an instance has happened. Due to the ever-growing demand for franchise cricket, which provides a lot of financial security to cricketers these days, a lot of them are turning down central contracts and giving priority to various leagues around the world.
Trent Boult gave up on his central contract in August but he featured for the side in the ICC World Cup 2023. Test captain, Ben Stokes has declined a three-year contract for England and, instead, signed up for just one year.
Coming back to West Indies’ centrally contracted list, four new names such as Alick Athanaze, Keacy Carty, Tagenarine Chanderpaul and left-arm spinner Gudakesh Motie have been included.
“With a busy year of cricket ahead, in all three formats, we have held several detailed discussions with the head coaches on the brand of cricket they want to play,”
West Indies men’s lead selector, Desmond Haynes, said.
“We are very clear in the direction we want to go. The players who have been offered contracts are among those who we expect to feature, as we look to build towards challenging for the top spot when we host and compete in the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2024 on home soil. We also have away Test series in Australia and England – these are two major assignments whilst in the 50-over format we look to build a nucleus of players aimed towards the ICC Men’s Cricket World Cup 2027.”
The West Indies Cricket and the USA are due to host the upcoming 2024 T20 World Cup, which runs from 4th June to 30th June 2024.
West Indies central contracts for men for 2023-24
Alick Athanaze, Kraigg Brathwaite, Keacy Carty, Tagenarine Chanderpaul, Joshua Da Silva, Shai Hope, Akeal Hosein, Alzarri Joseph, Brandon King, Gudakesh Motie, Rovman Powell, Kemar Roach, Jayden Seales, Romario Shepherd
Out: Jermaine Blackwood, Nkrumah Bonner, Jason Holder, Kyle Mayers, Obed McCoy, Nicholas Pooran, Odean Smith, Hayden Walsh Jr
In: Alick Athanaze, Keacy Carty, Tagenarine Chanderpaul, Gudakesh Motie
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