PORT-OF-SPAIN, April 27: West Indies have become the last international side to institute a retainer contract system for its players.

Ken Gordon, president of the West Indies Cricket Board (WICB), announced on Wednesday that the regional governing body and the West Indies Players’ Association had finally hammered out an agreement.

“The people involved in the negotiation all had one common objective when they sat down to discuss the matter,” Gordon said.

“They all wanted to take West Indies out of the situation in which it now stands and take it forward. I think zeroing in on this, they were able to find the solutions and ways around whatever difficulties they had.”

The WICB's negotiation team comprised directors Deryck Murray and Desmond Haynes, two former West Indies vice-captains and members of the Cricket Committee, as well as Chief Financial Officer Barry Thomas.

Under new chairman Clive Lloyd, the former West Indies captain, the reconstituted Cricket Committee has been playing the leading role in the latest round of negotiations.

“This is the culmination of years of hard work from a number of people,” Murray said.

“I think this is the beginning of the resurgence of West Indies cricket and follows some changes in the structures of the board. We are looking to focus on making cricket more of a priority and we are looking forward to a brighter future.”

WIPA executive president Dinanath Ramnarine, the former West Indies leg-spin bowler from T&T, headed the team negotiating for the players and was satisfied that all concerns had been addressed.—AFP