Daren Sammy Criticises Joseph's Actions in ODI

West Indies head coach Daren Sammy described Alzarri Joseph's conduct during the third ODI against England as "unacceptable" after a disagreement with captain Shai Hope led the fast bowler to leave the field abruptly.

In the fourth over of England’s innings in Bridgetown, Joseph was visibly upset over a field placement and exchanged words with Hope. Though he dismissed Jordan Cox with the fourth ball of the over, he chose not to celebrate, instead heading straight back to his mark. At the end of the over, Joseph left the field without notifying anyone, forcing West Indies to continue the fifth over with just ten players on the field.

"Such behaviour is not acceptable on my field," Sammy told after the match. "We may be friends, but in the culture I aim to build, this is intolerable. We’ll be having a conversation about this."

Joseph returned at the beginning of the sixth over but did not bowl again until the 12th. After a couple of misfields that allowed England to add two runs, he left the field once more before later returning to bowl his remaining overs, finishing with figures of 2 for 45, having also dismissed Dan Mousley.

Sammy, appointed West Indies head coach in May 2023 and known for his strong man-management skills, has encouraged players like Andre Russell and Evin Lewis to rejoin the international side. He expressed his commitment to fostering a positive team culture, saying, "I take pride in having tough conversations in a way that everyone understands what needs to be done. Seeing progress in the right direction makes me proud."

Following West Indies’ 2-1 ODI series win, Sammy hinted at the return of experienced players like Nicholas Pooran and Akeal Hosein for the five-match T20 series starting Saturday, saying, "We have some senior players expected back. Our T20 team is our most successful and settled, though we bring in new players for exposure, it largely selects itself."