Bravo, Pollard still 'committed' to WI - T&T manager

Kieron Pollard and Dwayne Bravo, the Trinidad & Tobago allrounders, remain committed to West Indies cricket, their regional team manager Colin Borde has said. Borde's comments came a day after it was reported that the two had turned down central contracts from the WICB.

"I don't think by not signing the central contracts that they are not interested in West Indies cricket," Borde told Trinidad and Tobago Express. "It is just that, probably, they did not want to be contracted year round.

"I am sure they have their reasons and will be having discussions in the next few days to let these be known. But I am quite confident that Dwayne and Kieron are both committed to West Indies cricket and will make themselves available for selection."

The contracts Pollard and Bravo refused to sign were worth US$80,000, and required the players to make themselves available for West Indies at all times. Pollard, however, had already shown a reluctance to do so when, in June, he turned down a place on the West Indies A-team tour to England in favour of his deal with Somerset for the Friends Provident t20.

Both players have, however, been named in a Trinidad & Tobago squad for the WICB President's Cup 50 Overs Tournament in Jamaica next month.

WICB corporate communications officer, Imran Khan, told CMC Sports the board would make an announcement shortly on the players to replace Bravo and Pollard. The WICB had offered 25 players contracts on August 31 - ten of them were development contracts worth $25,000 - and gave the players until September 10 to accept them. If any player chose not to accept the contract, the board said it would make alternate offers.