The West Indies fast bowler, Alzarri Joseph, has been given a huge suspension for his unsanctioned departure from the field at the end of his over when West Indies grabbed a wicket during the third ODI against England, after disagreeing with a field placement with captain and wicket-keeper Shai Hope.
Alzarri Joseph issued a public apology after the incident, where he acknowledged that his passion for the game got the better of him, besides which he informed about the personal apology to the leader, his teammates, and the management.
“I also extend my sincerest apologies to the West Indies fans – I understand that even a brief lapse in judgment can have a far-reaching impact, and I deeply regret any disappointment caused.” The 27-year-old fast bowler, who picked up a couple of wickets in his ten overs at the Bridgetown stadium in Barbados, expressed.
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During the fourth over of the innings, Alzarri Joseph was not happy with a field placement and was seen to be in a brutal mode with Hope. Off the fourth ball, the pacer removed Jordan Cox caught behind but didn’t think of celebrating with his team and returned to his mark. He left the field unannounced and went into the dressing room, which forced the West Indies Cricket Board (WICB) to field ten players on the field.
“Behavior like that is unacceptable on my cricket field. We will be friends, but in the culture, I’m trying to build, that’s unacceptable. We will have a chat about that.” The head coach of the Caribbean side, Darren Sammy, highlighted during an interaction with Talk Sport after the end of the game.
The Antigua-born made his comeback in the middle at the start of the sixth over but did not resume bowling until the 12th. He bowled two more overs in the spell before going off the field again, having seen two misfields off his bowling, which saw the opponent side getting two runs through the overthrows.
West Indies hands two-match suspension to Alzarri Joseph
The veteran, who made his international debut nearly eight years ago, has grabbed 119 scalps in 72 ODI innings at an average of 28.22 and a strike rate of over 30.8, shouldering on one five-wicket haul for the best figure of 5/56.
The West Indies Cricket Board Director of Cricket, Miles Bascombe, hasn’t taken the whole incident lightly and has decided to hand a two-match suspension to Alzarri Joseph.
“Alzarri’s behavior did not align with the core values that Cricket West Indies upholds. Such conduct cannot be overlooked, and we have taken decisive action to ensure the gravity of the situation is fully acknowledged.” Miles told.
Sammy, who was appointed the West Indies head coach nearly 20 months back, is widely credited for his management abilities. He convinced several players, like Andre Russell and Evin Lewis, to make their return to the international game, which at one point was unlikely to happen.
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“I pride myself on having the difficult conversations. But in a way that everybody understands what needs to be done. To see guys going out there and slowly progressing in the right direction makes me proud.” The two-time World Cup-winning captain remarked.
This suspension means that Alzarri Joseph won’t be available for the first two T20Is against England in Barbados and can make a potential return during the third and final game of the series in St. Lucia. The other experienced players like Nicholas Pooran and Akeal Hossein are expected to make their reappearance.