WICB eyes women's retainers

BRIDGETOWN, Barbados (CMC):

Retainer contracts for West Indies Women will be one of the critical issues for discussion, when the directors of the West Indies Cricket Board (WICB) meet for three days from today.

West Indies women's cricket remains extremely far behind the men in the level of organisation of tournaments and remuneration.

The WICB directors now seem set to move women's cricket to the front burner with their decision to offer retainer contracts - if only to a handful of the current members of the West Indies team.

Right now, the women are preparing for the ICC Women's World Challenge from October 6 to 16 in South Africa.

The tournament will also provide a good challenge to the six teams, as none of them has yet qualified for the ICC Women's World Cup to be staged in three years' time in India.

Significant sacrifice

Like most amateur sportspeople in the Caribbean, it oftentimes means a significant sacrifice for the women in their personal and professional lives.

The introduction of the retainer should offer a similar level of stability to the women's programme - as it is expected to do with the men - and should help to make the Windies Women's side much more competitive internationally.

Currently, West Indies Women are ranked fifth in the world, and they enhanced their reputation with a semi-final place at this year's Women World Twenty20 staged simultaneously with the men's competition in the Caribbean.

The establishment of a regional umpires and match referees panel is also a matter for discussion on the agenda.

Though the umpiring fraternity have resisted in the past, it is strongly felt that a regional elite panel should be established from which the WICB can draw to officiate in all of the major regional competitions.