BRIDGETOWN, Barbados (CMC) — In a move that signals a potential changing of the guard, long-serving opener and former Test Captain Kraigg Brathwaite is set to be dropped from Cricket West Indies’ central contract list for the 2025-2026 season.

The Nation news, based here, reports that Brathwaite, a regular at the top of the order for over a decade, is not expected to be among the players offered an international retainer.

Instead, the Barbadian batsman has been offered a domestic contract by the Barbados Pride franchise after the recent regional draft.

The decision follows what Brathwaite may consider a difficult period. Despite earning his 100th Test cap against Australia in Grenada, becoming only the tenth West Indian to do so, his form has waned.

His lean run culminated in him being dropped for the third Test at Sabina Park, a match that infamously saw the West Indies bowled out for a record-low 27 runs en route to a 3-0 series sweep. This omission ended a streak of 90 consecutive Test appearances, dating back to 2014.

Brathwaite’s likely exclusion from the central contracts list raises pressing questions about his international future. It follows his official resignation as Test captain in March, just weeks after leading a series-levelling victory over hosts Pakistan — the Windies’ first Test win there in 30 years.

His successor, Roston Chase, officially took the reins ahead of the Australia series after a selection process that included psychometric testing.

The team’s subsequent performance, however, has been poor, leaving them rooted to the bottom of the ICC World Test Championship table as they face a challenging schedule of away series in India and New Zealand.

Cricket West Indies has yet to officially announce its list of centrally or regionally contracted players. Brathwaite has not made a public statement regarding the contract decision, leaving his next move uncertain as the focus shifts to a new generation of West Indian cricketers.