BRIDGETOWN, Barbados (CMC):
IN A significant move that signals a potential changing of the guard, long-serving opener and former Test captain Kraigg Brathwaite is set to be dropped from Cricket West Indies’ central contract list for the 2025-2026 season.
The 32-year-old stalwart, a mainstay at the top of the order for more than a decade, is not expected to be among the players offered an international retainer, according to The Nation news.
Instead, the Barbadian batsman has been offered a domestic contract by the Barbados Pride franchise, following the recent regional draft.
The decision comes on the heels of a difficult period for Brathwaite. Despite a monumental achievement last month where he earned his 100th Test cap against Australia in Grenada, becoming only the 10th West Indian to do so, his form has waned.
His lean run culminated in his being dropped for the third Test at Sabina Park, a match that infamously saw the West Indies bowled out for a record-low 27 runs en route to a 3-0 series whitewash. This omission ended a remarkable streak of 90 consecutive Test appearances, dating back to 2014.
Brathwaite’s likely exclusion from the central contracts list raises pressing questions about his international future. It follows his official resignation as Test captain in March, just weeks after masterminding a historic, series-levelling victory over Pakistan in their own backyard, the Windies’ first Test win there in 30 years.
His successor, Roston Chase, officially took the reins ahead of the Australia series after a selection process that included psychometric testing.
The team’s subsequent performance, however, has been poor, leaving them rooted to the bottom of the ICC World Test Championship table as they face a daunting schedule of away series in India and New Zealand.
Cricket West Indies has yet to officially announce its list of centrally or regionally contracted players.
Brathwaite has not made a public statement regarding the contract decision, leaving his next move uncertain as the focus shifts to a new generation of West Indian cricketers.
