Jason Holder, Nicholas Pooran and Kyle Mayers reject Cricket West Indies central contracts

Jason Holder and Nicholas, former West Indies captains, along with Kyle Mayers, have declined Cricket West Indies (CWI) central contracts for the 2023-24 season, the board announced in a statement on Sunday. The trio will still be available for West Indies’ T20I series in 2024, CWI added in the statement.

Keacy Carty, Alick Athanaze, Tagenarine Chanderpaul and Gudakesh Motie are among the notable men’s cricketers to receive the central contracts. Among women, all-rounders’ duo of Zaida James and Sheneta Grimmond received contracts for the first time.

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," said Desmond Haynes, CWI chief selector. “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,” he added.

Amid the player workloads and the increasing number of T20 leagues, players have been forced to reconsider their central contracts. In 2010, Chris Gayle, Kieron Pollard and Dwayne Bravo had turned down contracts and recently, Trent Boult had given up his central contract with New Zealand in August 2022. Boult would, however, go onto play for New Zealand in the Cricket World Cup recently.

West Indies, led by Shai Hope, are coming off a 2-1 series win over England in an ODI series. A three-wicket haul from debutant Matthew Forde helped the Windies seal the series in the third ODI in Barbados on Saturday. The two teams will next square off in a five-match T20I series starting at the same venue on Wednesday.

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CWI central contracts list

West Indies Men: 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

West Indies Women: Aaliyah Alleyne, Shemaine Campbelle, Shamilia Connelly Fletcher, Cherry-Ann Fraser, Shabika Gajnabi, Jannillea Glasgow, Sheneta Grimmond, Chinelle Henry, Zaida James, Mandy Mangru, Hayley Matthews, Karishma Ramharack, Stafanie Taylor, Rashada Williams