Half of the region’s most talked about cricket puzzle has been solved.
Talented all-rounder Jonathan Carter of Barbados has chosen the Broken Trident ahead of the University of the West Indies’ flag.
After weeks of speculation as to whether the left-handed batsman was going to represent Barbados or the Combined Campuses and Colleges in the West Indies Super 50 tournament, Carter yesterday suited up for Barbados to play in a limited overs practice match at the Desmond Haynes Oval, in Black Rock, St. Michael.
The other half of the puzzle remains unsolved.
There is still uncertainty as to which team Carter’s cousin, Carlos Brathwaite, will represent in the tournament. Brathwaite is in Bangladesh with the senior West Indies squad.
When asked yesterday by NATIONSPORT what was the reason for his change of heart, Carter preferred not to comment because of the sensitive nature of the matter.
But acting chief executive officer of the Barbados Cricket Association (BCA), Deighton Smith, shed some light on the situation.
“We had a meeting with the principal of the University of the West Indies, Sir Hilary Beckles (also a member of the West Indies Cricket Board), and based on that development we will issue a statement on the matter shortly, but Jonathan has indicated he will play (for Barbados).”
Cousins Carter and Brathwaite became the centre of the latest controversy in West Indies cricket when after being picked by Barbados since late September, they were also later named in the Combined Campuses and Colleges side for the same tournament.
Carter has a Grade ‘B’ while Brathwaite has a Grade ‘C’ contract with the Barbados Cricket Association which would have ended at the end of September.
NATIONSPORT has been reliably informed that players’ contracts were extended by letter for the month of October. BCA contracts for the coming year were not finalized because the local cricket authorities were waiting on the West Indies Cricket Board to issue their annual retainer contracts and also on the status of players in the Sagicor High Performance Centre.
Brathwaite made his first-class debut while representing CCC in this year’s first-class championship after he had competed for Barbados in the Caribbean T20 championship in January.
Carter represented Barbados in the 2010 regional One-Day tournament in Jamaica and also in this year’s Regional T20 and four-day competition.
Carter has never played for the CCC in regional competition. (BA/HE)
