Bridgetown: West Indies head coach Daren Sammy did not hold back when addressing fast bowler Alzarri Joseph’s behaviour during the third ODI against England in Bridgetown. Joseph’s actions, which included leaving the field after a disagreement with captain Shai Hope, were publicly criticized by Sammy, who labelled the behaviour “unacceptable.”

The incident unfolded in the fourth over when Joseph expressed frustration with Hope over a field placement. Despite taking the wicket of England’s Jordan Cox caught behind, Joseph did not celebrate with his team. Instead, he silently returned to his mark, and at the end of the over, left the field without notice. His sudden departure forced West Indies to field with only ten players for the start of the fifth over, sparking confusion among teammates and spectators alike.

“Behavior like that is unacceptable on my cricket field,” Sammy said in an interview with TalkSPORT after the game. “We will be friends…but in the culture I’m trying to build, that’s unacceptable. We will definitely have a chat about that.”

Joseph briefly returned to the pitch at the beginning of the sixth over, but his frustrations seemed to linger. After two misfields off his own bowling, which led to overthrows, he once again left the field. Although he resumed bowling later in the innings, finishing with respectable figures of 2 for 45, his visible discontent overshadowed his performance.

Since being appointed head coach in May 2023, Sammy has emphasised creating a positive team culture within West Indies cricket. Known for his player-management skills, Sammy has encouraged a number of players, including Andre Russell and Evin Lewis, to return to the international game. He is confident in his approach, even with difficult conversations.

“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.”

Despite Joseph’s controversial exit, West Indies went on to secure the ODI series 2-1. The team now turns its attention to the upcoming T20 series against England, beginning Saturday. Sammy hinted that star players like Nicholas Pooran and Akeal Hosein, who were absent in the recent series against Sri Lanka, would return for the T20Is.

“Our T20 team is our most successful team and our most settled team. So, yes, we incorporate some new guys…but our T20 team normally picks itself,” he remarked. IANS

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