Marlon Samuels and Darren Bravo are among the two players to decline contracts offered by the WICB © AFP
Marlon Samuels, Darren Bravo and Carlos Brathwaite have declined central contracts offered by the WICB for the period 2016-17. The list of centrally-contracted players with the WICB depleted to 12 after the board had increased it from 12 to 15 earlier this January, for the period 2015-16.
Some of the other big names that were not retained from the previous batch of contracted players were Denesh Ramdin, Jerome Taylor (retired from Tests) and Kemar Roach. Also left out were fast bowler Sheldon Cottrell and opening batsman Rajendra Chandrika. Roston Chase, Alzarri Joesph, Miguel Cummins and Jomel Warrican were the new faces in list of contracted players, which was shortlisted based on performances between October 2015 and September this year. Central contracts are given by the WICB for only Test players.
The WICB released the list a day before West Indies wrap up their final Test of 2016, against Pakistan in Sharjah. No reasons were cited by the WICB in the media release on why Samuels, Bravo and Braithwaite turned down the contracts or why Ramdin and the others were not retained.
Samuels has been struggling in the last year, managing just 470 runs since May 2015, with three half-centuries at an average of 18.80. But the big miss is bound to be Bravo, who was West Indies’ second-highest run-scorer in the current Test series against Pakistan. West Indies’ next Test series would be at home in April against Pakistan.
WICB’s contracted players for 2016-17: Devendra Bishoo, Jermaine Blackwood, Kraigg Brathwaite, Shane Dowrich, Shannon Gabriel, Jason Holder, Shai Hope, Leon Johnson, Alzarri Joseph, Roston Chase, Miguel Cummins, Jomel Warrican
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Source: ESPN Crickinfo