West Indies coach Daren Sammy is urging players to use a 25% reduction in retainer fees as motivation to improve their World Test Championship standing and attract sponsorships.
ST. JOHN’S: West Indies head coach Daren Sammy has challenged his Test players to respond to a 25% reduction in retainer fees with stronger performances, saying a better finish in the World Test Championship (WTC) could bring additional incentives and improve the team’s financial prospects.
Sammy’s comments come ahead of the opening Test against Bangladesh on Wednesday, with West Indies seeking to improve their position in the 2025-27 WTC standings during the final series of their campaign.
Cricket West Indies (CWI) announced the reduction in player retainer fees last month as the board sought to address financial pressures and the team’s competitive challenges.
West Indies currently sit eighth in the WTC standings, above only bottom-placed Pakistan. With two Tests against Bangladesh remaining in the cycle, Sammy believes the team still has an opportunity to improve its position and strengthen its prospects of securing greater financial support.
“My word to the guys, especially this World Test Championship, you finish in the top five, there’s extra incentives,” Sammy said.
The coach highlighted the prize money available through the International Cricket Council’s WTC competition, urging players to focus on results and treat the opportunity as an incentive to deliver stronger performances.
Sammy also stressed that consistent performances could help West Indies attract commercial sponsors and put CWI in a stronger position to negotiate improved financial arrangements.
“I have challenged the guys to put ourselves in a better position to negotiate and attract sponsors by the performances we put on the field,” he added.
The former West Indies captain said the pay reduction had not diminished the wider playing group’s commitment to improving the team’s fortunes. He pointed to the ODI and T20I sides’ performances during their recent tour of India as evidence of the players’ determination.
Sammy now wants the Test squad to show similar resilience against Bangladesh, with the upcoming series providing a final opportunity to improve the team’s position in the current WTC cycle.
He also drew encouragement from West Indies’ Test results in 2026. The team defeated Sri Lanka 1-0 in a series earlier this year before drawing 1-1 against Pakistan, maintaining an unbeaten series record during the year.
“The way we have played Test cricket this year, we have not lost a series this year,” Sammy said, describing the record as a positive sign for the side.
With the Bangladesh series marking West Indies’ final assignment in the current WTC cycle, Sammy urged his players to make the most of the remaining opportunities.
“Ten possible days of Test cricket left in this cycle for us, so just go out there and give it your all,” he said.
For West Indies, the series offers an opportunity to pursue a stronger WTC finish while demonstrating the kind of on-field consistency Sammy believes could help attract sponsors and support improved financial arrangements in the future.
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