Jayden Seales, Obed McCoy and Odean Smith
have earned their maiden Cricket West Indies
(CWI) international retainer contracts for
men, for the period between July 1, 2022, and June
20, 2023.
Also joining the list of 18 are Brandon
King, Rovman Powell and Romario Shepherd,
while the now-retired Kieron Pollard, as well as
Fabien Allen, Darren Bravo, Evin Lewis, Rahkeem
Cornwall and Shannon Gabriel have been omitted
from the previous group.
Development contracts, meanwhile, have been
given to allrounders Mandy Mangru and Jannillea
Glasgow and batter Rashada Williams of the
West Indies women’s set-up. From the previous
cycle, Britney Cooper, Sheneta Grimmond,
Shawnisha Hector and Qiana Joseph have been
excluded and, apart from the other three new
faces, Karishma Ramharack has been added.
In all a total of 36 players – men and women – have
been included in the contracts’ list. This is in
addition to the 90 players, who are contracted
to the territorial board franchise squads.
For the period in question, the men’s retainer
structure has been changed, according to a
CWI statement, “to offer player contracts
across all formats of cricket, compared
to specific red or white-ball contracts
in previous years”. This came after a
performance-evaluation period from April
1, 2021, to March 31, 2022, supported by
data from the 2019-2020 evaluation period.
CWI said: “This allows for all players to be
appraised immediately after the Evaluation
Period and provides a notice period before new
contracts start on 1 July, 2022. The system is designed
to reward hard work and performance results.”
“We think this is a dynamic group, with the right
mixture of experience and youthfulness to properly
represent the people of the Caribbean,” Desmond
Haynes, the men’s lead selector, said. “With general
retainer contracts, it gives us a pool of talented and
dedicated cricketers, who can take West Indies
cricket forward in years to come.”
The addition of Mangru, Glasgow and Williams
have taken the total number of women players on
development contracts to six, as they joined Cherry
Ann Fraser, Shabika Gajnabi and Kaysia Schultz.
“The selectors have placed a great focus on the
young developing players because these are the ones
who will help to build the team as we look towards
the future,” women’s lead selector Ann Browne-
John said. “The panel believes that the combination
of experienced players and the emerging players
will give a good base as we continue to prepare
teams for international matches and the T20 World
Cup early next year.”
CWI added in the statement that “all players
who are no longer awarded international retainer
contracts are offered an A grade Regional Franchise
Contract for the following year”.
FULL LIST OF CONTRACTED PLAYERS – MEN
Jermaine Blackwood, Nkrumah Bonner, Kraigg
Brathwaite, Joshua Da Silva, Jason Holder, Shai
Hope, Akeal Hosein, Alzarri Joseph, Brandon
King, Kyle Mayers, Obed McCoy, Nicholas Pooran,
Rovman Powell, Kemar Roach, Jayden Seales,
Romario Shepherd, Odean Smith, Hayden Walsh
Jr.
FULL LIST OF CONTRACTED PLAYERS –
WOMEN
Aaliyah Alleyne, Shemaine Campbelle, Shamilia
Connell, Deandra Dottin, Afy Fletcher, Cherry
Ann Fraser, Shabika Gajnabi, Jannillea Glasgow,
Chinelle Henry, Mandy Mangru, Hayley Matthews,
Anisa Mohammed, Chedean Nation, Karishma
Ramharack, Kaysia Schultz, Shakera Selman,
Stafanie Taylor, Rashada Williams.