Towards Freedom of Movement

(Jamaica Observer)

Nationalism and the absence of a professional environment for Caribbean cricket mean that moves such as that by Ricardo Powell earlier this week are something of a novelty.

In England, Australia, India, South Africa etc, professional players will regularly change county/state/province to further fame and fortune. And, it's not such a big thing.

But in the Caribbean the decision by the 25 year-old Powell to play for Trinidad and Tobago rather than his native Jamaica is inspiring plenty of talk. No Jamaican that anyone can remember has ever played first-class cricket for any other Caribbean team.

Back in the 1950 and 60s, the legendary Barbadian Frank Worrell played for Jamaica and was even captain for a couple of games against touring teams. Current West Indies Cricket Board (WICB) president, Teddy Griffith also represented Jamaica while he lived and worked here in the '60s.

Clyde Walcott played for Guyana at one point and I can remember yet another great Barbadian, Wes Hall, playing for Trinidad and Tobago. Currently, the Dominican fast bowler Adam Sanford -- who is due in South Africa as one of the replacements for injured players -- represents Antigua and Barbuda, where he lives and works, as well as the Leeward Islands.

But as a general rule such things happen only rarely in Caribbean cricket.

Of course, the big difference between the Caribbean and other Test-playing places is that the West Indies is a country in cricketing terms only. The several territories that make up the West Indies team from Guyana on the South American continent, up the chain of islands to Jamaica in the north are for the most part, politically sovereign nations with real differences in terms of culture and outlook.

And we routinely get the sort of jingoistic prejudices and biases that go with simplistic nationalism. Jamaicans, with their strong sense of identity, admirable though that may be, are as prone as any to insular, nationalistic sentiments.

Hence, we now hear the suggestion from some that Powell is being unpatriotic. We also hear the concern that in playing for Trinidad and Tobago, he could find himself enjoying less tolerance than is his due.

Certainly, Powell's reasons are logical and straightforward. The most important being that he is married to a Trinidadian, lives, and has set up a business there. Obviously there are other issues, not least being, that when he travelled from Trinidad to represent Jamaica this year, he did so at his own expense. Though, I am informed by the Jamaica Cricket Association (JCA), that arrangements were being put in place to cover his travelling expenses for the upcoming Carib Beer season.

Personally, I hope to live to see the day when players will also move from one territory to another for career reasons -- a day when our regional cricket will be truly professional, when a player will change allegiance because he has been offered a better deal in terms of salary and working conditions. Or, perhaps because he believes he will be able to earn a place in the first team more easily.

What a day that would be in the Caribbean when a player's nationality is not a primary consideration. What a day that would be for West Indies cricket!