The all-rounder has played for franchises all over the world
Cricket West Indies have been under scrutiny for many years for their administrative issues and treatment of players. Many players had cut ties with the national team due to butting heads with the Board, while the advent of T20 cricket has prompted many of the players from the Caribbean prioritising league cricket over the national team.
Once a greatest team in Test history is now struggling to play matches that last for entire five days as the near-empty stands at home tell a sorry state of affairs. Despite being T20 world champions twice, their team in the shortest format has been struggling with multiple issues in the last few years due to constant captaincy changes and failure to qualify for the knock-out stages.
Carlos Brathwaite had seen West Indies cricket climb the podium at the 2016 T20 World Cup when he helped them beat England in the final at the Eden Gardens, but he has also seen the same lows which many former and current players have been concerned about.
Brathwaite is among the first crop of players who had played T20 leagues around the world and have seen all the lifestyle had to offer.
However, he felt that the glitz and glamour of franchise cricket often masks the big financial struggles players in them face. In a blog LinkedIn profile, the 37-year-old revealed that three franchises he had played for previously had delayed paying him for months on end while one franchise is yet to pay him.
“In 2024, I personally had three franchise contracts where payments were delayed 6 to 8 months. As I write this in July 2025, I’m still owed money from one of them. And if this is happening to me, imagine what it’s like for a young local player making his debut,” Brathwaite wrote in a blog post on LinkedIn.
Brathwaite has appeared for over two dozen franchises in his career, including Kolkata Knight Riders, Delhi Daredevils (now Delhi Capitals) and Sunrisers Hyderabad in the Indian Premier League.
In 2024, Brathwaite played for Gulf Giants in the International League T20 (ILT20) and for Lahore Qalandars in the Pakistan Super League (PSL) and in the Global Super League (GSL).
“We’re quick to showcase our growth as a sport through shiny new leagues, but late payments leave a stain, not just on tournaments but on cricket itself. The integrity of our game doesn’t stop at match-fixing; it extends to how we treat people behind the scene,” Brathwaite further wrote.
The all-rounder is currently playing in the MAX60 Caribbean for the Boca Raton Trailblazers.
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