West Indies head coach Daren Sammy has confirmed that fast bowler Alzarri Joseph turned down selection for the upcoming two-match Test series against Pakistan, delivering a major setback to the Caribbean side ahead of the opening Test in Tarouba. Earlier, Cricket West Indies had stated that Joseph would miss the series due to personal reasons. However, speaking to the media before the first Test, Sammy clarified that the experienced pacer had been selected but chose not to make himself available for the series.
“Yeah, it is a big loss. Mr Joseph has declined selection. That’s the reality of the situation,” Darren Sammy said. “He was selected. I mean, he’s now coming back from injury. And for reasons since, he has declined the selection. That is a decision that is way over my head. I leave that with the directors to come up with whatever solutions where contracted players get to decline selection,” he added.
Joseph’s absence is significant for the West Indies, considering his experience and impact in the longest format. The right-arm pacer has featured in 42 Test matches, claiming 130 wickets, and has been a key member of the West Indies pace attack across all three international formats.
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Despite losing one of his premier fast bowlers, Sammy remains confident that the current bowling unit has enough quality to challenge Pakistan. The hosts have named an attack featuring Shamar Joseph, Kemar Roach, Jayden Seales, Justin Greaves and Keemo Paul, while the spin department will be led by Jomel Warrican, debutant Joshua Bishop and captain Roston Chase.
“What I could tell you is that we have a bowling line-up that we’ve seen could take 20 wickets. That’s the first step to winning Test matches,” Darren Sammy said. “We saw it in New Zealand. We saw it in the Australia series. We matched Australia with the ball. We matched New Zealand with the ball as well.”
The former West Indies captain also expressed confidence in his batting unit, believing the team’s recent improvements with the bat will complement its strong bowling attack.
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“The confidence and the work that the batters have put in, you could see it bearing fruit in the Test series against Sri Lanka. Much more consistency is coming through. Once we match these batsmen scoring runs, we know we have the bowling line-up to take 20 wickets and help us win Test matches,” Darren Sammy added.
The first Test between West Indies and Pakistan gets underway in Tarouba on Saturday, while the second and final match of the series will be played in Port of Spain from August 2.
