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No ease in Windies eligibility rule

West Indies Cricket Board president Pat Rousseau has reiterated that players must take part fully in the West Indies first-class season to be eligible for international selection.

Rousseau said he does not believe the rule will change in light of a few West Indians playing professionally in South Africa and Australia.

"I think we have answered that (question) several times," Rousseau said.

"The WICB reviewed it at the end of its November meeting and re-affirmed the policy. We think if you were playing in Australia or South Africa and you missed their domestic season, you probably wouldn't be eligible for their team either," he added.

Barbados's Vasbert Drakes, Ottis Gibson and Mark Lavine, along with Leeward Islands' Kenny Benjamin and Trinidad and Tobago's Phil Simmons are currently playing in South Africa.

All-rounder Carl Hooper, who indicated a couple months ago that he wanted to come out of retirement to return to international cricket, also plays professionally in Australia.

All apart from Lavine have represented West Indies in either Tests or limited-overs internationals.

Rousseau said: "We need to have our people playing and competing in our first-class domestic season to evaluate them properly.

"We can't just work off statistics. I would have to arrange to send selectors to South Africa to review the people playing there.

"Our cricket will not improve if we open up that door (because) you run the risk of 70 or 80 per cent of your professionals, the better ones in particular, disappearing during your domestic first-class season and what you will have left is a shell.

"Then the selectors will have to go and live overseas and follow the players."