Chanderpaul resigned last week after poor batting form

The West Indies Cricket Board (WICB) has set a Friday deadline for players to either agree retainer contracts or face being dropped from the team.

Shivnarine Chanderpaul resigned last week, saying he wanted to concentrate on regaining his batting form.

Ramnaresh Sarwan, Daren Ganga and A-team skipper Sylvester Joseph have all been considered as replacements.

A seven-match one-day series at home to Zimbabwe begins on 29 April.

The WICB cricket committee, which includes former stars Clive Lloyd, Michael Holding and Desmond Haynes, said it had heard players were in talks with rival sponsors.

You want a captain who will be a regular member of side and somebody who will galvanize the team Clive Lloyd

A row between team sponsor Digicel and rival Cable & Wireless, which is endorsed by seven leading players, saw a shadow side in action last season.

"The WICB made a proposal to the West Indies Players Association (Wipa) on January 12 on the issue of retainer contracts for West Indies players," said a board statement.

"It was a good offer, fully competitive with other full member countries of the world.

"After some three months, we have been unable to conclude an agreement in spite of an increase on our original proposal of 5%."

However, union president Dinanath Ramnarine said the players would not rush to sign new deals.

"We are not going to be pressured by anybody into signing a retainer contract because we are the only team that does not have a retainer contract," he told the Trinidad and Tobago Express.

"We will sign the retainer contract once we believe that it is a fair and reasonable contract and it is in the best interest of the player."

Cricket committee chairman and former captain Lloyd said there were around four names for consideration as Chanderpaul's successor.

"There are a number of them. We have Sarwan; we have Ganga; we have the young fellow Joseph, who has done extremely well with the A side."