Alzarri Joseph was handed a two-match ban for his on-field argument with West Indies captain Shai Hope. (AP/FanCode screengrab)
Cricket West Indies (CWI) on Friday announced a two-match suspension for pacer Alzarri Joseph after his on-field argument with captain Shai Hope during the third ODI against England in Bridgetown on Wednesday.
Joseph’s heated tiff with captain Hope occurred after West Indies had opted to field in the series decider against England. Joseph was displeased with a field setting offered to him against English batter Jordan Cox in the fourth over of the England innings.
“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,” said Miles Bascombe, CWI Director of Cricket.
The 27-year-old pacer has also issued a public apology for his behaviour. “I recognize that my passion got the best of me. I have personally apologized to Captain Shai Hope, my teammates and 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,”
Alzarri Joseph was a very angry man yesterday.
Here is a Rip-Snorter. pic.twitter.com/vzKEhP51OI— Anirudh Kalra (@CricketKalra) November 7, 2024
After the first ball of the over, Joseph was visibly upset with his wicket-keeper captain and the two slips in place. He bounced Cox out with a vicious bouncer before storming off the pitch at the end of the over.
Joseph refused to celebrate the dismissal as he continued to have a heated disagreement with captain Hope while West Indies coach Daren Sammy walked down to the sidelines, prompting the bowler to settle his nerves. However, the Antiguan bowler soon finished a wicket-maiden over before storming off the field to the dressing room, leaving West Indies with only 10 men on the field for an over.
Joseph soon emerged from dressing room to the dugout and rejoined the side on the field after the end of the following over. He completed his quota of 10 overs with two wickets.
‘Unacceptable’
Joseph, however, quickly came under fire after West Indies’ eight-wicket win over England to win the series 2-1 with head coach Sammy terming his behaviour “unacceptable”.
“Behaviour like that is unacceptable on my cricket field,” said Sammy speaking to TalkSPORT. “We will be friends…but in the culture I’m trying to build, that’s unacceptable. We will definitely have a chat about that.”
“I pride myself on having the difficult conversations,” Sammy said. “But in a way that everybody understands what is needed to be done. To see guys going out there and slowly progressing in the right direction makes me proud,” he added.
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