The West Indies Cricket Board (WICB) has granted NOCs to Shivnarine Chanderpaul, Tino Best, Fidel Edwards, and Krishmar Santokie to play in the Masters Champions League, after the four players had written to the board about their international retirements. Their NOCs come two days ahead of the tournament opener. The MCL, a T20 league for retired players, has been scheduled to take place in the UAE from January 28 to February 13.
Chanderpaul will play for Gemini Arabians and Edwards for Leo Lions. Best and Santokie are part of the Sagittarius Strikers roster.
Michael Muirhead, the CEO of WICB, confirmed the players’ retirements and hoped they would do well in the MCL. “This is a tournament [for those] who have retired from international cricket,” he said. “We wish for a successful tournament and we hope the opportunity for all the players prove valuable.”
Chanderpaul, Best, and Santokie can still play domestic cricket and regional tournaments as local players in West Indies, but, Edwards, who had taken the Kolpak route in March last year can only do so as an overseas professional.
Edwards, who made his debut for West Indies in 2003, had played 125 international matches, the last of which came in 2012. Earlier on Saturday, Chanderpaul, who had not played for West Indies since May 2015, had announced his retirement and Best, 34, played 25 Tests, 26 ODIs and 6 T20Is for West Indies until January 2014.
Santokie, 31, has ended his international career despite playing only 12 T20s for West Indies and boasting a bowling average of 15.02 and an economy rate of 6.78 in all Twenty20 cricket. He has been a regular player in the Caribbean Premier League, but last played for West Indies in 2014. In terms of recent match practice, he had played three matches in the Bangladesh Premier League.
