LinkWICB moving ahead with new first-class structure
The West Indies Cricket Board (WICB) is moving ahead with its plan to implement a new structure for regional first-class cricket which will see the six regional sides being able to select players from across the region and further overseas.
WICB president Dave Cameron, speaking on the Line and Length programme on the Sportsmax TV Channel, said the changes are part of the Board’s attempt to transform the regional first class competition to a “franchise” structure much like the Limacol Caribbean Premier League Twenty20 tournament.
“We are moving towards a structure where we are going to have players from all over the region playing for different teams,” said Cameron.
“Effective August and September we are going to have players from all over the region and potentially from outside the region who will be playing for these franchises and we are still going to call them Barbados, Jamaica and Trinidad,” he added.
The move Cameron said, was part of the process of professionalising the regional first class tournament and was also highlighted in the Pybus report.
In the Pybus report, WICB director of cricket Richard Pybus outlined a structure which would see a player draft being held for regional first class cricket.
“The draft allows West Indies cricket to level the playing field in resourcing franchise-type teams, affording all the TB’s (territorial boards) the opportunity to broaden and deepen their squads,” the report stated.
The territorial boards will be allowed to retain and contract ten players with the rest of the players going into the draft from which teams will select five players to make up their 15-member squads.
“We have announced that coming this year with the new professional structure, teams will be able to select the best players from around the region. It is an interesting point however that these teams are going to fall directly under the auspices of the territorial boards,” said the WICB president.
He also noted that the players will be “at work” for 12 months of the year and that was one of the main reasons the Combined Campuses and Colleges team was cut from the competition.
“Our season starts November 1st and runs to March and we did not see how a university team could fit in to such a structure,” Cameron added.
Well well well!!
...tbh i had a good conversation with someone VERY HIGH UP on the board and they hinted at "players being able to play for other teams"...i said "hold on...wasn't that rejected?" but the source remained coy after that...i just said if that is actually the case the board should make it public sooner rather than later so everyone knows the deal...and here we are!! 
. Needless to say i think it's a BRIALLIANT idea...and here is why..You have a team like Trinidad who have Ramdin as their captain and he's currently the top wicket-keeper in the region...so how is young Pooran meant to play 4-day games in the near future? the same thing with Ray Jordan who is behind Nelon Pascal, Delorn Johnson and the invisible man...the yute is just about turning TWENTY now...he needs to be playing cricket.
There will also be a whole host of pacers from Bim who are likely to be left out in the cold when you consider they have Roach, Holder, Cummins, Carlos Brathwaite, Fidel, Best and now Mcclean on their books.
The team who could really benefit majorly is Leewards...this is how their team could potentially look like
Powell
BOUCHER (may get left out of Bim's squad if Alleyne impresses them)
Saunders
KYLE HOPE (good talent that needs to move away from bim)
Hayden-Walsh
BARCLEY (decent batsman who has faded away for trinidad over the last year..needs new start)
Hamilton/Thomas WK
JORDAN (close to home for him so logical team to go to)
MCCLEAN (won't get into Bim's team)
Tong
Martin
So that's the kind of team they'd be able to field if they so wish...and there's no doubt it would be much better than the usual rubbish they've been putting out over the years...the clear weakness is in the batting department and this franchise structure would allow them to address that issue.
I would imagine someone like Pooran would go to Winwards as they don't have a top class keeper. Kantasingh could be a good fit for them too as he would be deadly alongside Shilly.
It's really gonna be interesting to see who gets contracts for their respective teams...here is my guess (it's ten each)
Trinidad
Ramdin
Darren Bravo
Dwayne Bravo
Pollard
Gabriel
Narine
Elvin Lewis
Simmons
Hosein
Richards/Rampaul
Jamaica
Gayle
Campbell/Thomas
Bonner
Blackwood
Fatbert
Walton
Taylor
Cotterrell
Miller
Russell/Bernard
I would have put Samuels but his lack of appearances for Jam of late might work against him methinks
Barbados
Brathwaite
Edwards
Carter
Corbin/Raymon Reifer
Dowrich
Roach
Holder
Cummins
Benn
Nurse
Winwards
Smith
Theophile
Fletcher
Ambris
Lesporis
Sebastian
Shillingford
Pascal
Delorn Johnson
Peters
Guyana
Tage Chanderpaul
Granpa Shiv
Leon Johnson
Fudadin
Bramble
Permaul
Bishoo
Beaton
Barnwell
Keon Joseph
Leewards
Powell
Hamilton
Thomas
Saunders
Tong
Martin
Hayden-Walsh
Walters
Azzari Joseph
Leonard
That's just a guess...but imo this competition will be much stronger with this new policy as you can see where teams need to improve and they will have the chance to do that...it will also help to weed out the garbage that has been getting regular cricket just because there is no-one else to challenge them aswell...i mean Barath for example could go to Guyana and find a new lease of life? Carlos Brathwaite could play for Jamaica? it's gonna be exciting to watch imo and take our domestic game to another level.
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