14 West Indies players sign contracts with WICB for upcoming tour of South Africa

West Indies recently pulled out of their tour of India due to payment issues

In a relieving news for West Indies cricket, 14 out of the 18 West Indies players who were picked for the tour of South Africa next month have signed their tour contracts. There were some concerns about the South African tour going forward after the players pulled out of their tour of India last month mid-way through the series, prompting the BCCI to cancel all ties with the West Indies Cricket Board (WICB).

The West Indies selection panel, headed by Clive Lloyd, selected a strong 18-man squad for the tour to the rainbow nation last week, and the WICB gave the players a deadline of 18 November to sign their tour contracts.

Test squad: Denesh Ramdin (capt), Sulieman Benn, Jermaine Blackwood, Kraigg Brathwaite, Darren Bravo, Shivnarine Chanderpaul, Sheldon Cottrell, Shannon Gabriel, Chris Gayle, Jason Holder, Leon Johnson, Kemar Roach, Marlon Samuels, Jerome Taylor, Chadwick Walton.

Darren Bravo unavailable

The West Indies Cricket Board (WICB) said on Tuesday that young batsman Darren Bravo has opted out of the tour despite being picked in the squad, owing to personal reasons. A replacement for him is yet to be named. The Test side, which will be led by wicket-keeper Denesh Ramdin, boasts of the likes of Chris Gayle and Shivnarine Chanderpaul. They are scheduled to play 3 Tests, 5 ODIs and 3 T20 internationals.

"Darren Bravo wrote to chairman of selectors Clive Lloyd and requested not to be considered for the Test series due to personal reasons. The WICB extends its best wishes to Bravo as he seeks to address his personal matters and looks forward to his return to the game," the board said in a statement.

The board also thanked the players for their positive response over this matter.

"The WICB thanks the players for their timely and positive responses and looks forward to a successful tour of South Africa," the statement added.

The abrupt pull out of the team from their tour of India plummeted their overall cricket even furtherm and their move received scathing criticism from several quarters.