West Indies players will take a 25% cut in their retainer fees as Cricket West Indies (CWI) makes changes to its financial and domestic cricket structure. The decision comes ahead of the team's upcoming international assignments, including the series against India.
The board will continue to offer international players 12-month contracts, but domestic players will now receive retainers covering seven months. CWI has also suspended the men's Super50 and women's T20 Blaze for this season, with the board seeking to reduce the cost of running domestic cricket.
CWI chief executive Chris Dehring said the reduction was agreed upon following discussions with the West Indies Players' Association and the players. He acknowledged that the decision was not ideal but said it was required to address the board's financial position.
"We appreciate the spirit of cooperation of the West Indies Players' Association and the players who have demonstrated their understanding of the circumstances we all face. While not ideal, it is a necessary step towards financial stability," Dehring said in a statement.
The board's financial concerns extend beyond player retainers. CWI has also decided to change the way domestic competitions are conducted, with the costs involved in staging tournaments becoming a major consideration.
According to Dehring, CWI currently covers expenses ranging from salaries and match fees to air travel, accommodation and tournament operations across its domestic and development programmes.
"Our domestic tournaments as structured historically, where Cricket West Indies bears the entire cost of every national team and tournament - whether it is age-group, development or senior for both men and women - including salaries, match fees, airfares, hotels and event staging costs, are simply unsustainable."
Dehring added that domestic travel has placed a considerable burden on CWI, saying the board had spent more than US$80 million with domestic airlines over the past 15 years.
Super50 and T20 Blaze suspended, replacement tournaments announced
The decision to put the Super50 on hold is particularly significant for the men's ODI setup. CWI is instead planning a series of white-ball matches against England A in November, followed by an ODI camp. The move is aimed at keeping the squad's preparation on track for the 2027 ODI World Cup qualifying campaign.
There is another dimension to the restructuring. The Caribbean's cricketing system is made up of several independent nations that compete together as West Indies at international level, while individual countries can also pursue opportunities in multi-sport events.
Teams from the region are set to feature separately at the 2027 Pan American Games in Lima and the qualification process for the 2028 Olympic Games in Los Angeles.
The top four finishers from the 2025-26 Super50 and T20 Blaze have already secured places for the respective Pan American Games events. CWI will now introduce separate qualification tournaments for the 2028 Olympics, with the participating national boards responsible for their own costs.
The women's Super50 will also make way for a Best vs Best development tournament next year. Meanwhile, the West Indies Championship will retain the 12-game bilateral format used during the 2025-26 season.
"These replacement tournaments will be by invitation to the 10 countries" - Chris Dehring
Dehring said the new competitions will bring the individual Caribbean nations into a different structure as they pursue Olympic qualification.
"These replacement tournaments will be by invitation to the 10 countries under the aegis of Cricket West Indies that qualify for Olympic participation. We are excited by these new invitational tournaments, the dates for which are being finalized, as given the higher stakes and prestige, it's an opportunity for individual countries to galvanize national resources to chase Olympic glory."
Under the new arrangement, national cricket and Olympic associations, governments and private-sector partners will have a greater role in funding participation.
"The winners of those tournaments will qualify for the ICC Olympic Qualifying tournaments for a spot in Los Angeles in 2028."
Also Read: Watch: Virat Kohli and Shubman Gill share a funny moment ahead of 1st ODI vs West Indies
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