“No one can serve two masters, for either he will hate the one and love the other, or he will be devoted to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve God and mammon.” (Matthew 6:24 and Luke 16:13)
If we would read our Bible and understand what we read and take it seriously, we would not have so much confusion and problems in today’s world.
The statement quoted above seemed to be coming to pass recently with the situation of Jonathan Carter and Carlos Brathwaite.
The Barbados Cricket Association (BCA) selected both of them to wear national colours on the cricket field in this month’s Super50 competition in Guyana.
But they wrote to the BCA indicating their preference to play for the Combined Campuses and Colleges (CCC). Their request was turned down.
(A report in yesterday’s DAILY NATION stated, Carter [on Wednesday] suited up to play for Barbados in a limited overs practice match at the Desmond Haynes Oval . . . . and continued, “There is still some uncertainty as to which team . . . Carlos Brathwaite will represent in the tournament.”)
I would still ask this question: how could these young men have expected to serve two masters – the BCA and the CCC – at the same time?
Brathwaite and Carter had reaped financial benefits over the past ten months through national retainer contracts when the BCA became the first territorial board to offer such.
The contract said the players “shall not play competitive cricket for any entity or team whatsoever, other than the West Indies Cricket Board, the BCA or the players registered club without the written consent of the BCA”.
I think that it was morally wrong for those two young men to have considered playing for any team other than a BCA team for it was the BCA which had given them contracts.
Secondly, their original choice raised the issue of national pride. To me it is an honour and a privilege to play for one’s country. That’s where your loyalty should be.
These two players have a duty to play for their country.
