KINGSTON, Jamaica, CMC – West Indies Cricket Board president, Dave Cameron, says left-hander Darren Bravo’s recent “poor” performances did not merit him receiving a higher grade retainer contract.
The 27-year-old Bravo was recently offered a Grade C contract – the lowest grade available – but declined the offer.
Pointing to the player’s “declining averages”, Cameron said the WICB could not “reward poor performance” by offering the player a higher grade.
“It is explicit that if your averages are not above a certain level it tells you what contracts you get. It is very, very explicit,” Cameron said this week on regional sports channel, SportsMax.
“His averages in the last two years have been declining, so what do you do? Reward poor performance or do you encourage him to get better?”
Bravo is the current leader of the West Indies batting group, and averages 40 from 39 Tests with eight hundreds.
In the recent three-Test defeat to Pakistan in the United Arab Emirates, the Trinidadian compiled 273 runs at an average of 45, including a superb century in the historic opening day/night Test in Dubai.
Last year, Bravo scored 644 runs in nine Tests at an average of 35.77.
The WICB determines the grade of contract issued based on a system which compares the player’s career figures against the averages of the last 12 months.
Retainers comprise grades of A+, A, B+, B and C.
Cameron said there was no justification in offering Bravo a higher grade contract as it would offer the player no motivation to improve.
“If you continue to keep giving him an A contract then what is the motivation to get better? He has been on an A contract and he hasn’t done well,” the Jamaican administrator argued.
Bravo subsequently took Twitter to say had never been offered a Grade A contract.
Only 23-year-old opener Kraigg Brathwaite and veteran right-hander Marlon Samuels were offered contracts above the C grade.
Had Bravo accepted the contract offer, it would have put him on par with the likes of rookies Roston Chase, Shane Dowrich and Alzarri Joseph, none of whom have played 10 Tests.
Samuels and all-rounder Carlos Brathwaite also turned down contract offers.
