WHO WILL GET RETAINER CONTRACTS THIS TIME ROUND

At the end of August last year, the West Indies Cricket Board offered retainer contracts to 15 players. Those contracts expire today, September 30, 2011. When those contracts were offered last year three players, Christopher Gayle, Dwayne Bravo and Keiron Pollard, declined the offers made to them, choosing instead to try their luck playing professional T20 cricket in the different leagues around the world. For the most part, they were successful with Gayle exciting millions of fans playing for the Royal Challengers Bangalore while Pollard won over even more fans with his lusty hitting while representing the Mumbai Indians. Dwayne Bravo was not as prolific but was otherwise useful for his Chennai Super Kings.

That left Shivnarine Chanderpaul, Darren Sammy, Suilemann Benn, Kemar Roach, Adrian Barath, Darren Bravo, Shane Shillingford, Ravi Rampaul, Andre Russell, Carlton Baugh Jr. Brendan Nash, Nikita Miller, Devon Smith, Nelon Pascal and David Bernard Jr as  the players who accepted those retainers and made between US$80,000 and US$120,000 for the year representing the West Indies. As the new contracts are being drawn up and readied to be offered to players again for the year 2011-2012, it will be interesting to see who gets offered new contracts and who are not. For the record retainer contracts are broken down as follows: An ‘A’ contract is valued at US$120,000, a ‘B’ contract US$100,000 and a ‘C’ contract US$80,000. Good money by any standard.

Right off the bat, sources are suggesting that Chris Gayle will not be offered a retainer contract. Why? Well, he was offered one last year and turned it down. Since that time he has had his run-ins with the WICB, vented his spleen on KLAS radio and has not been selected to represent the West Indies for the past 10 months. In addition, he has been at one end of an impasse with the WICB over whether he should retract the statements he made on KLAS earlier this year and apologize to Coach Otis Gibson. He also continues to bash the board on his Twitter page, something the board has asked him not to do.

Pollard and Bravo also declined to accept contracts the last time round and while their respective seasons have lacked the off-field drama of a Chris Gayle’s, it’s hard to see the board offering them contracts this year as very little has changed with their positions of wanting to leave their options open to chase as much cash as they can in the growing number of T2o leagues around the world.

Another player sources said is unlikely to be offered a contract is Jerome Taylor. The injury-prone fast bowler was not offered a contract last year because the board felt that he needed to demonstrate that he could play an entire season and not break down, something he has not done in a long time. It’s hard to even remember the last time Taylor played complete season of competitive cricket. I had to check with the Jamaica Cricket Association who reminded me that Taylor last played competitive cricket for Jamaica during the regional four-day competition that began in February this year. He played his last game sometime in April before he broke off because the passing of his grandmother. He has not played since.

Of those who were on contract there are a few players likely to slip from the list of 15. For one, Brendan Nash who recently withdrew from Jamaica’s training squad for next month’s WICB Regional Super50 competition in Guyana citing personal issues. It emerged this week that Nash will now be representing the Doutta Stars in the Victoria Turf Cricket Association competition in Australia. Nash had a very poor run with the bat during the last season and his withdrawal from the Jamaican squad would not have helped his cause. It would not be a stretch then to suggest then that the West Indies will be naming a new vice captain. David Bernard and Nikita Miller have been average at best and as such I believe that they, too, will not be invited to sign new contracts.

The afore-mentioned trio of Jamaicans could be replaced by another trio of Jamaicans. After two years out in the cold, middle-order batsman Marlon Samuels, who was recently cleared to resume bowling at the international level by the ICC, could very well be offered a contract, despite the fact that he has not yet fully lived up to potential. However, after a very solid domestic season during which he scored a double century in the four-day regional competition and then followed that up with decent performances in the one day internationals against India during the summer, he looks set to be retained by the WICB.

The mercurial Andre Russell as well as Carlton Baugh Jr who has shown great commitment to improving his game since he was recalled to the West Indies, should also find favour with the WICB.

Sources hint that, yet another player expected to be offered a contract is perhaps one of the most refreshing players in a long time to wear the maroon and gold of the West Indies. ICC Emerging Cricketer of the Year Devendra Bishoo, who was signed to a developmental contract last season, and who has been outstanding with the ball this season, should be offered a retainer contract this time round. Bishoo, who turns 26 in November has played in five Tests and taken 21 wickets at an average of 35.42 and is an excellent fielder. He is also no slouch with the bat. His average in Tests of 12.42 with a top score of 26 does not accurately reflect his potential. He could be a member of the West Indies line up for a long while.

Also in the bowling department, Fidel Edwards, who turns 30 next February, has made a triumphant return to international cricket. He acquitted himself well in the series against India with a couple of five-wicket hauls in taking 19 wickets during the summer series.  He should expect to be offered a contract.

Kirk Edwards is another player, sources are telling me, who is in line to be offered a retainer contract. Edwards became the 14th West Indian to score a Test century on debut with 110 against India in Dominica in July. Prior to that he has shown flashes of brilliance as an opener and could emerge as a powerful force in the West Indies top order.

We now eagerly await the announcement from the WICB which players will be celebrating and those who will be ruing missed opportunities to make ‘easy money’.