Andre Russell and Darren Sammy removed from WICB contracts list

West Indies’ T20I captain Darren Sammy and all-rounder Andre Russell have not been contracted by the West Indies Cricket Board for 2015-2016, along with left-arm spinner Sulieman Benn. Chris Gayle, who had previously turned down West Indies contracts more than once, including last year, is not on the list of centrally contracted players which was increased from 12 to 15. Sunil Narine, who had also turned down a contract last year and is currently suspended from bowling in internationals due to an illegal action, also does not feature on the list. The other two to miss out from the list issued for 2014-15 are veteran batsman Shivnarine Chanderpaul and the out-of-favour Dwayne Bravo.

Sammy had turned out for West Indies in the T20Is against Sri Lanka as recently as November last year though he was left out for the preceding ODI series on that tour. T20 specialist Russell had played both the ODIs and T20s on that tour. Sulieman Benn last played for the Windies during their home Test series against England in April 2015.

Batsman Leon Johnson and left-arm seamer Sheldon Cottrell have both been handed retainer contracts by the WICB, despite not featuring for the regional side over the last year. The pair is among a list of players announced by the WICB late Friday who have been retained for the period beginning last October 1 to September 30 later this year. Johnson, a 28-year-old left-hander, has been repeatedly overlooked in recent months despite the team’s continued struggles at the top of the order. He averages nearly 40 in his four Tests and gathered scores of 54 and 44 in his last Test – against South Africa in Cape Town last January.

Cottrell, meanwhile, has not suited up for West Indies since the one-day series in South Africa last January. The 26-year-old has struggled with injury this year and only recent resumed bowling when he turned out for Jamaica Scorpions in the Regional First Class Championship. He played the last of this two Tests in December 2014 and has played two One-Day Internationals. Rajendra Chandrika has been the preferred choice despite three noughts in six Test innings and an average of 14.

Marlon Samuels has been also retained despite a torrid time with the bat in recent months. The Jamaican gathered 30 runs from four Test innings against Sri Lanka last October and managed only 35 runs in five outings against Australia in the just-concluded three-Test series Down Under. Rookies Shai Hope and Shane Dowrich, who like Chandrika both made their Test debuts last year, are also among the 15 retained.

The contracts, issued for the period from October 1, 2015, to September 30, 2016, include several batsmen who have debuted for West Indies in Test cricket over the past year and a half, including Jermaine Blackwood, Leon Johnson, Shane Dowrich, Shai Hope and Chandrika. Leg-spinner Devendra Bishoo was also added, as well as fast bowlers Shannon Gabriel and Sheldon Cottrell.

The WICB’s contracted players for 2015-16:

Jason Holder, Kraigg Brathwaite, Rajendra Chandrika, Darren Bravo, Marlon Samuels, Denesh Ramdin, Devendra Bishoo, Shannon Gabriel, Jermaine Blackwood, Jerome Taylor, Sheldon Cottrell, Shai Hope, Shane Dowrich, Leon Johnson, Kemar Roach

In: Devendra Bishoo, Shannon Gabriel, Sheldon Cottrell, Jermaine Blackwood, Rajendra Chandrika, Shai Hope, Shane Dowrich, Leon Johnson

Out: Darren Sammy, Andre Russell, Sulieman Benn, Shivnarine Chanderpaul, Dwayne Bravo.