Is West Indies cricket dead ?

[Dr Cricket]

http://www.espncricinfo.com/australia-v ... 57013.html

no suprised West indies players don't play, the pay is crap.

[mikesiva]

Test match fees and retainers this summer
Australia

Match fee - Aus $15,450 (overseas Tests Aus $21,631)

Contract retainer - 18 contracted players plus incremental earners

Top contract approx Aus $1.5 million, bottom approx Aus $250,000

New Zealand

Match fee - NZ $8,500

Contract retainer - 20 contracted players

Top contract NZ $200,000, going down by NZ $7,000 increments to bottom contract NZ $82,000

West Indies

Match fee - US $5,000

Contract retainer - 12 contracted players

Three contract tiers with category A US $140,000, category B US $120,000, category C US $100,000


And in contrast, "as the likes of Chris Gayle, Andre Russell, Dwayne Bravo and Lendl Simmons earn anywhere between Aus $65,000 (US $47,300 approx) and $120,000 (US $87,300 approx) for six weeks' work in the Big Bash League, the West Indies Test players are paid relatively meagre sums. Match fees were slashed from US $17,500 to $5,000 in 2014 as a result of an agreement between WIPA and the WICB that led to a mass walkout from that year's tour of India."

is it any surprise, then, that young talented cricketers in the region try first to become T20 cricketers, and only gravitate towards Tests when they're not good enough for T20s?

[mikesiva]

Holder is calling for a fairer Test wage structure too....

http://www.espncricinfo.com/australia-v ... 57183.html

"West Indies captain Jason Holder has thrown his support behind Kevin Pietersen's call for a central ICC fund to provide more competitive wages to cricket's less wealthy nations. Holder stated his interest in the proposal after ESPNcricinfo revealed the exact dimensions of the vast pay gap between West Indies and Australia, a scenario that has made it near enough to impossible for many Caribbean players to continue playing Tests when they could be earning far greater sums as Twenty20 freelancers. Pietersen, in Australia to take part in the BBL alongside the likes of Andre Russell, Chris Gayle and Dwayne Bravo, suggested that the game should try to balance the disparity."

[GarlicJam]

Test match fees and retainers this summer
Australia

Match fee - Aus $15,450 (overseas Tests Aus $21,631)

Contract retainer - 18 contracted players plus incremental earners

Top contract approx Aus $1.5 million, bottom approx Aus $250,000

New Zealand

Match fee - NZ $8,500

Contract retainer - 20 contracted players

Top contract NZ $200,000, going down by NZ $7,000 increments to bottom contract NZ $82,000

West Indies

Match fee - US $5,000

Contract retainer - 12 contracted players

Three contract tiers with category A US $140,000, category B US $120,000, category C US $100,000


And in contrast, "as the likes of Chris Gayle, Andre Russell, Dwayne Bravo and Lendl Simmons earn anywhere between Aus $65,000 (US $47,300 approx) and $120,000 (US $87,300 approx) for six weeks' work in the Big Bash League, the West Indies Test players are paid relatively meagre sums. Match fees were slashed from US $17,500 to $5,000 in 2014 as a result of an agreement between WIPA and the WICB that led to a mass walkout from that year's tour of India."

is it any surprise, then, that young talented cricketers in the region try first to become T20 cricketers, and only gravitate towards Tests when they're not good enough for T20s?

Obviously the Aus payments are much better, but taking into account the exchange rates (currently 1.46), the Windies pay rates are very comparable with the Kiwis. Match fee is slightly less, contract rates a bit better to a lot better.

If Kiwis galore were exploring the same options, your point would be more valid.

What adds to this is the fact that the Kiwis (say) take incredible pride in playing for their country, and the Windies are not playing for their country, so less of the incentive to stay true.

[Making_Splinters]

Test match fees and retainers this summer
Australia

Match fee - Aus $15,450 (overseas Tests Aus $21,631)

Contract retainer - 18 contracted players plus incremental earners

Top contract approx Aus $1.5 million, bottom approx Aus $250,000

New Zealand

Match fee - NZ $8,500

Contract retainer - 20 contracted players

Top contract NZ $200,000, going down by NZ $7,000 increments to bottom contract NZ $82,000

West Indies

Match fee - US $5,000

Contract retainer - 12 contracted players

Three contract tiers with category A US $140,000, category B US $120,000, category C US $100,000


And in contrast, "as the likes of Chris Gayle, Andre Russell, Dwayne Bravo and Lendl Simmons earn anywhere between Aus $65,000 (US $47,300 approx) and $120,000 (US $87,300 approx) for six weeks' work in the Big Bash League, the West Indies Test players are paid relatively meagre sums. Match fees were slashed from US $17,500 to $5,000 in 2014 as a result of an agreement between WIPA and the WICB that led to a mass walkout from that year's tour of India."

is it any surprise, then, that young talented cricketers in the region try first to become T20 cricketers, and only gravitate towards Tests when they're not good enough for T20s?

Obviously the Aus payments are much better, but taking into account the exchange rates (currently 1.46), the Windies pay rates are very comparable with the Kiwis. Match fee is slightly less, contract rates a bit better to a lot better.

If Kiwis galore were exploring the same options, your point would be more valid.

What adds to this is the fact that the Kiwis (say) take incredible pride in playing for their country, and the Windies are not playing for their country, so less of the incentive to stay true.

More that the New Zealand Cricket have come up with a sustainable plan to allow their players to play and benefit from the T20 competitions around the World while still playing for their country, rather than saying its one or the other. Had they tried the hard line then they'd have ended up in a similar situation.

About the only side that has gotten away with the hard line is England, that's solely because our cricketers are among the best paid in the world and it doesn't make sense to lose a central contract in order to play T20 cricket.

[Red Devil]

WI now top the rankings for T20 cricket ... so there is life yet (albeit it not in tests)

what will happen with the squad for the T20WC - will we see the likes of Gayle, Bravo, Sammy, Russell, Narine and Badree playing for WI?

[shankycricket]

Narine has been banned, hasn't he? Others should all be there. They are all a part of the T20 setup. Not that I see them as contenders for this World T20. Might play spoilsport but don't think they have the consistency to win the whole thing (yes, even in T20 you need a certain degree of consistency). The 2012 side had all the key players at the peak of the powers and the team was united and peaked at the right time. This one does have dangerous players but this is a totally disjoint and divided unit. Its all way too messy. They might have the odd good day but no way are they winning the tournament, even if its just T20. Amongst the top 9, I only give Bangladesh, Sri Lanka and Pakistan worse chances than them.

[Red Devil]

what would the side be?

Gayle, Simmons, Samuels, Dw Bravo, Pollard, Russell, Sammy, Ramdin, Taylor, Badree, Bishoo

looks like a pretty strong line-up with lil Bravo, Fletcher, Roach and Holder in reserve

[shankycricket]

That bowling attack without Narine is incredibly hittable.

[dan08]

I'd bring in Cooper or Santokie back if he unretires.

[rich1uk]

thought this might be something that would interest mike , its a worrying sign for the WI imo

baseball is becoming big throughout the Caribbean and central America

http://m.mlb.com/news/article/161732992 ... t-for-mets

[mikesiva]

thought this might be something that would interest mike , its a worrying sign for the WI imo

baseball is becoming big throughout the Caribbean and central America

http://m.mlb.com/news/article/161732992 ... t-for-mets

Yes, that's a curious story, rich....

I don't think baseball is catching on in the British West Indies, since most folks don't understand the game.

However, what it does show that if a WI player becomes disillusioned with the WICB, as Powell has done, he can try out for a baseball team. Let's see how this one pans out....

[GarlicJam]

I haven't read the link, but I have read about Powell a couple of weeks back. They were predicting the demise of WI cricket due to the upsurge in interest in baseball (and the monies associated with) at least two decades ago.

They were half right.

[sussexpob]

I haven't read the link, but I have read about Powell a couple of weeks back. They were predicting the demise of WI cricket due to the upsurge in interest in baseball (and the monies associated with) at least two decades ago.

They were half right.

Jarryd Hayne might convince a few people that the move to US crossover sports can end in the death of your original career, and nothing else. He has one of the worst average catches and rushes of the season, and no doubt will be cut from the 49ers roster and wont be picked up by another team

[Gingerfinch]

Wasn't Basketball the blame for potential cricketers being lured away? Now baseball? Crappy Infrastructure instead?