Dear Editor: Should WI remove the deposit contract system? Does CWI get what it pays for?

“[…] As the governing body of WI cricket, CWI must take responsibility for the absurd arrangement whereby players collect a monthly salary from the board and, when the time for selection arrives, turn up and fail a fitness test.

“[…] Isn’t it fair to conclude that they are just collecting the money and don’t care if Sunday falls on a Monday? It seems fair to say that only those with personal pride and goals are the ones who keep working in their free time…”

The following letter to the editor discussing a specific type of indiscipline currently plaguing West Indies cricket has been submitted to Wired868 by Choy Aping:

If players have retainer contracts and aren’t even inspired to at least maintain CWI fitness standards, which are now a requirement for selection, then I say scrap this whole retainer contract system.

Instead, let’s select based on fitness, performance and availability, and incorporate some of the money into the match fee, which will ensure players continue to make themselves available for WI service while investing the rest in the U-14s, U-15s and U-17s. development.

Evin Lewis is not the first player to be on a CWI retainer contract but fail to make himself available for the required fitness test or to pass said test.

Roston Chase, Shimron Hetmyer, Sheldon Cottrell, and Oshane Thomas are other CWI contractors who were all guilty of failing the mandatory CWI physical fitness test.

Given the performance of our teams and the fact that players who hold central contracts with CWI show up but still fail the regulation fitness test, it increasingly looks like a waste of money for CWI to continue to invest in these senior players through retainer contracts.

If players don’t take pride in their personal fitness as professional athletes, then what guarantees are there that they will perform to the best of their abilities in brown?

It’s no surprise fans wonder why, despite playing at the highest level, our players are so inconsistent. They also wonder why, with every step forward we take, we always seem to take two steps back. Why WI Cricket is cemented near the bottom of the table in all formats.

Why WI players can’t bat for the full 90 overs in one gameday. Why on so many occasions WI have the upper hand in a game and then give the advantage to the opponent.

The answers are all here: lack of fitness, lack of pride, lack of passion, lack of discipline and lack of ambition to represent WI.

As the governing body of WI cricket, CWI must take responsibility for the absurd arrangement whereby players collect a monthly salary from the board and, when the time for selection arrives, turn up and fail a fitness test.

I’ve asked this question over and over again: what does CWI have in place to ensure that players in whom investments have been made, in the form of retainer contracts, continue to work on their game for their free time?

If the players who collect a monthly salary from the board do indeed show up and fail the fitness test, isn’t it fair to conclude that they are just collecting the money and don’t care if Sunday falls on a Monday? It seems fair to say that only those with pride and personal goals are the ones who keep working in their spare time.

So I say we should do away with mandate contracts and invest in grassroots development. But if CWI is determined to continue recruiting players centrally, I have some suggestions for improving accountability for the money spent.

In their mandate contracts for the next cycle, CWI should include clauses stating that if a player fails the CWI-mandated yo-yo test without cause (injury or illness), it will amount to a breach of said contract and be cause immediate cancellation. Termination.

Instead of having a fixed time and date for the yoyo test, CWI should do it randomly for centrally contracted players.

Through territorial councils and their franchise coaches, we should put in place measures for centrally contracted players to report at least twice a week when they are away from international duty to work on their game and their physical condition.

We really can’t keep doing the same things over and over again and expect different results.