Alzarri Joseph has responded to West Indies head coach Daren Sammy over his absence from the ongoing Test series against Pakistan. Sammy had previously revealed that Joseph had "declined selection", despite Cricket West Indies (CWI) initially stating that the fast bowler was unavailable due to personal reasons.
Alzarri Joseph has now provided his version of events while speaking on the Good Morning Jojo Sport Show, describing Daren Sammy's public remarks as "controversial" and "without context" while explaining the workload and injury concerns behind his decision.
Alzarri Joseph revealed that his decision was not made without communication with the West Indies setup. The pacer said he had already spoken with Daren Sammy as well as CWI regarding his situation before the squad for the Pakistan series was selected.
The 29-year-old's concerns largely revolved around his body following a difficult period with injuries. Joseph had spent roughly a year away from the intensity of international cricket after suffering his second stress fracture before eventually returning against Sri Lanka in June.
He then featured in both Tests against Sri Lanka, taking six wickets, before playing five consecutive ODIs against New Zealand. Joseph felt that going straight into another Test series after that workload would have been too demanding physically. Alzarri Joseph said:
"We had a chat, myself and the head coach. I've also had a chat with CWI and if you realize I was out of cricket for roughly a year after my second stress fracture. I came back into international cricket against Sri Lanka, played two Test matches and then five ODIs back-to-back. At that point, I just felt like my body was not ready to go into another Test series."
What Daren Sammy originally said about Alzarri Joseph
The confusion around Joseph's absence began when CWI announced its 15-member squad for the Pakistan Tests. The board stated at the time that the pacer was unavailable for selection because of "personal reasons."
However, Daren Sammy subsequently presented the situation differently while speaking to reporters two days before the opening Test at the Brian Lara Stadium in Tarouba.
"Yeah, it is a big loss. Mr Joseph has declined selection. That's the reality of the situation," Sammy said.
The West Indies head coach acknowledged that Joseph was returning from injury but confirmed that he had been selected before turning down the opportunity to feature in the series.
"He was selected. I mean, he's now coming from injury. And for reasons since, he has declined the selection."
The head coach also indicated that questions surrounding contracted players declining selection were beyond his authority, saying that the matter was for the directors to address.
"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 said.
"I'm not representing Daren Sammy" - Alzarri Joseph addresses relationship with coach
The pacer was also directly questioned about whether the episode had affected his relationship with Daren Sammy. While his response highlighted the disagreement between the two, the pacer made it clear that he would continue carrying out his responsibilities professionally. He said:
"I'm a professional, so I'm going to go to work. I am representing the West Indies. I'm not representing Daren Sammy..."
Joseph further stressed that playing for the West Indies remains his priority. He indicated that his job within the setup is not about building friendships but performing his role and representing the team whenever he is available for selection.
West Indies, meanwhile, have moved ahead with their Pakistan Test assignment without the experienced quick, with their bowling attack featuring Justin Greaves, Shamar Joseph, Kemar Roach and Jayden Seales among others, and they won the first Test by 90 runs.
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