BRIDGETOWN, Barbados (CMC) — Director of cricket, Jimmy Adams, has given assurance that players will not be ruled out of a central retainer contract simply because of one bad year of performance, contending the current system and criteria provided for fairness.
Speaking after Cricket West Indies announced the new list for the year beginning July 1, Adams explained that in some scenarios, a “weighted average” was utilised over a two-year period so as to compensate for a dramatic decline in performance by a player over the one-year eligibility period.
“That was actually considered when this process was being constructed quite a few years ago and what they incorporated to try and even out a performance over a couple of years was that they would use a weighted average,” the former West Indies captain explained.
“So if a player came in the current cycle with stats that weren’t as strong as his previous cycle, then what they would do is a weighting over the two-year period.
“If you have somebody like a Kyle Mayers who obviously has put some strong figures on the table, in this cycle if he were to come in under those figures next year, it would be weighted across the two years.
“So it was considered when this construct was put together and the feeling is you want to look over a longer period rather than just focussing on one year’s performance.”
Chief selector Roger Harper was quick to reiterate the point.
“The first period which is the immediate year – which is the evaluation period prior to the awarding of contracts – is what is primarily used,” Harper pointed out.
“If the player’s stats do not meet the criteria, we then look at it over a two- year period in an attempt to assist the player, so to speak.”
Mayers, along with the emerging duo of Nkrumah Bonner and Joshua Da Silva, were all awarded red ball contracts for the first time, following their exploits in recent months.
Both Mayers and Bonner have scored heavily following their debuts in Bangladesh earlier this year, and now both average in the 60s from four Tests.
Da Silva, a tidy gloveman who made his debut on last December’s tour of New Zealand, has also been among the runs with a couple of fifties to push his average into the high 30s after playing five matches.
However, there were no contracts for proven all-rounder Roston Chase, batsman Shamarh Brooks and wicketkeeper/batsman Shane Dowrich, with all three players missing a couple of matches during the eligibility period.
In all, 11 players lost their retainer contracts, with eight previously holding white ball deals.
Harper said performance remained the basis on which contracts were issued and urged West Indies players to focus on consistency in order to boost their numbers.
“For your stats to be assessed and evaluated, you must play what we call the minimum required game which is 50 per cent of the games during that evaluation period,” Harper explained.
“So for Test cricket, we played nine matches … those players played more than half of the matches and I think going forward as a culture, if we want to see our team progress, if we want to see our team compete with the best in the world, we have to be more conscious of the fact that we have to earn our stripes, and we have to perform consistently.
“And I think our retainer contracts are given on that basis, based on what you’ve earned through your performances from the evaluation period.”
Dowrich was the exception, playing only four Tests during the review period. He abruptly left the New Zealand tour after the first Test and has not played since.
