Oshane Thomas

Pooran, Thomas big winners as West Indies announce central contracts

Nicholas Pooran and Oshane Thomas were the big winners as Cricket West Indies announced their central contracts for 2019/2020.

Nicholas Pooran was the teams top scorer with 367 runs in the ongoing Cricket World Cup, 93 runs more then their second-highest run getter Shai Hope. His reward is a white-ball contract for the upcoming season.

He joins the likes of Sheldon Cottrell and Carlos Brathwaite as having white-ball contracts.

The promising fast bowler Oshane Thomas, who has played in 18 one-day internationals, has also been handed a white-ball contract for the first time.

Thomas, 22, made his debut in the West Indies tour of India in 2018 and has best figures of 5/21 against England in St.Lucia.

Allen, 24, is also rewarded with a first white-ball contract. Allen shot to prominence with an impressive outing at the Canada T20 League as he scored 169 runs in five innings. However, despite this he has been unable to show that form in international cricket. It has seen his role in the side curiously change from batting all-rounder for his domestic franchise Jamaica Scorpions to a bowling all-rounder for his international side.

Allen, has scored only 83 runs in his 9 innings but showed some of his ability in scoring a half-century in a spirited chase against Sri Lanka in the World Cup. Meanwhile, he has bowled in all of his ODI matches recording two wickets from his 10 ODI outings.

Rovman Powell retained his spot among those with white-ball contracts despite not making an international appearance so far in 2019 and missing out on the World Cup squad.

Sunil Ambris and Ashley Nurse, both of who played for the West Indies in this World Cup, lost out on central contracts for 2019-20.

Darren Bravo, Keemo Paul and Shimron Hetmyer saw themselves upgraded to all-format contracts. It comes after Darren Bravo has seen himself back into the West Indies setup following a spat with previous president of the West Indies Cricket Board Dave Cameron.

Those three join Kemar Roach, Shai Hope, Kraigg Brathwaite and West Indies captain Jason Holder as having all-format contracts until the end of June 2020.

Jomel Warrican, who has impressed for the West Indies ‘A’ squad has been given a red-ball contract. It points towards a possible change in the lead spinner for the West Indies in Test Cricket. Devendra Bishoo had held that title playing fifteen Tests since April 2017.

However, Bishoo, now 33, has been left without a central contract for the following year hinting at a potential change of heart from the selectors.

All-format contracts: Darren Bravo, Shimron Hetmyer, Jason Holder, Shai Hope, Alzarri Joseph, Keemo Paul, Kemar Roach

Red-ball contracts: Kraigg Brathwaite, John Campbell, Roston Chase, Shane Dowrich, Shannon Gabriel and Jomel Warrican

White-ball contracts: Fabian Allen, Carlos Brathwaite, Sheldon Cottrell, Nicholas Pooran, Rovman Powell, Oshane Thomas

JOEL KIFFIN / Getty Images

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