West Indies head coach Darren Sammy has revealed that fast bowler Alzarri Joseph has refused selection for the upcoming two-match Test series against Pakistan, with Cricket West Indies (CWI) having initially said that the fast bowler was unavailable due to “personal reasons”.
Alzarri Joseph’s absence is a big blow for the Caribbean side, with the 29-year-old having featured in both Test matches against Sri Lanka earlier this summer and before that he also played a key role in the ODI series against New Zealand. His decision means West Indies will head into the Pakistan series without one of their premier fast bowlers.
Alzarri Joseph missing from West Indies team for Pakistan Test
Alzarri Joseph’s omission is one of the biggest talking points as West Indies prepare to host Pakistan in a two-Test series starting on July 26, with the opening match being played at the Brian Lara Cricket Academy in Taruba. The second test will start from August 2 in Port of Spain.
Alzarri Joseph was part of West Indies’ recent Test squad against Sri Lanka, where he took six wickets in the two matches. He then switched to white-ball cricket and impressed in the ODI series against New Zealand, taking match-winning figures of 4/41 in the opening game.
Despite the absence of Alzarri Joseph, the hosts have maintained a balanced bowling attack. The pace department will be led by Shamar Joseph, Kemar Roach and Jayden Seales, while all-rounders Justin Greaves and Keemo Paul will provide additional seam-bowling options. The spin responsibility will be shared by Jomel Warrican, debutant Joshua Bishop and captain Roston Chase.
The selectors have rewarded Joshua Bishop with his first Test call-up after his impressive domestic performances, while Kirk McKenzie returns to the Test side for the first time since 2024. This series is important for both the teams, with West Indies and Pakistan currently placed at the bottom of the World Test Championship standings.
“Yes, it’s a big loss. Mr Joseph has declined selection” – Darren Sammy
Speaking ahead of the opening Test, Darren Sammy admitted that Alzarri Joseph’s absence is a big blow and clarified that the fast bowler had opted out after being selected in the squad.
“Yes, it’s a big loss. Mr Joseph has refused selection. That’s the reality of the situation. He was selected. I mean, he’s coming off injury now. And since then for reasons, he has refused selection.”
Darren Sammy also admitted that decisions regarding the decline of contracted players to national selection are outside his jurisdiction and will instead be dealt with by Cricket West Indies administrators.
“This is a decision that is above my head. I leave it to the directors to find any solutions where contracted players have to refuse selection.”
“We know we have the bowling line-up to take 20 wickets and help us win the Test match” – Darren Sammy
Despite missing one of their strike bowlers, Sammy is confident that West Indies have enough quality in their attack to challenge Pakistan throughout the series. He cited the team’s recent bowling performances against New Zealand and Australia as proof that the current team is capable of bowling out opposition teams twice in a Test match.
“What can I tell you [is that] We have seen that we have a bowling line-up which can take 20 wickets. This is the first start of winning the test match. We saw it in New Zealand. We saw it in the Australia series. We equalized Australia with the ball. We equaled New Zealand with the ball also. And the confidence and hard work put in by the batsmen can be seen in the Test series against Sri Lanka. You know, there’s a lot more stability coming.”
Sammy believes that the team’s batting is also beginning to show signs of improvement and is hopeful that the combination of a reliable bowling attack with strong batting performances will help West Indies continue to compete in the longest format.
“So once we match these two batsmen in scoring runs, we know we have the bowling line-up to take 20 wickets and help us win the Test match.”
