CHATTOGRAM, Bangladesh, CMC – Assistant West Indies coach, Roddy Estwick, believes it is time for fast bowler Alzarri Joseph to assume a major role in the Test attack, with the view of becoming its mainstay in coming years.
Estwick said while the 24-year-old had come into his own in the One-Day International format, he had yet to really make a big impact in Tests, and urged the player to produce the type of performances which would install him as the natural successor to the aging new ball pair of Kemar Roach and Shannon Gabriel.
“I think he’s been disappointed with his returns at Test match level,” Estwick said looking ahead to the two-Test series bowling off here Wednesday.
“I expect a lot better from him. I think he’s a wonderful bowler and he’s now at the stage where he should be looking to take over the attack from Shannon and Roachie, both now in their 30s, and he’s got to lead the attack.
“He’s a young man full of talent. His batting has really come along as well so we’re now beginning to see the performances we all know that Alzarri is capable of but he has to be consistent.
“When you’re going to lead the attack, you’re not going to lead the attack for one game or two games, you’ve got to lead the attack for three, four, five years and also bring along the people like Chemar Holder and all the other youngsters in the region as well.”
Joseph was one of the heroes of the West Indies squad which won the ICC Under-19 World Cup in 2016, and was subsequently fast-tracked into the international side later that year with debuts in both the Test and ODI format.
However, while he has taken 50 wickets from 31 ODIs, he has managed only 32 scalps from 13 Tests, and is still without a five-wicket haul.
And with Joseph one of the few experienced players on the ongoing tour of Bangladesh, Estwick said it was the ideal time for the Antiguan to kickstart his Test career.
“Alzarri now has to really take up the mantle and run with it and repay the faith that the selectors have placed in him, and the belief and confidence that the people in the Caribbean have placed in him, because we picked him just out of the [Under-19] World Cup at age 19 so we can’t hide now behind that he is young and inexperienced,” Eswick pointed out.
“He has had five years of international cricket. I know he had a slight break with the injury … but he’s now over that so he must now be ready to lead the charge.”
Joseph was one of only two West Indies players named in Wisden’s ODI Team-of-the-Year for 2020, after claiming 22 wickets from nine matches at an average of 19 during the review period.
Left-handed stroke-maker Nicholas Pooran was the other West Indies player to make the XI after averaging 56.
Estwick hailed Joseph’s performance in the ODI format, noting that he had definitely made improvements over the last year.
“If you look at it from a 50-over point of view, Alzarri was voted on the 50-over Team-of-the-Year so that tells you how much strides he’s made,” the Barbadian said.
“Alzarri in the last year to 15 months as a one-day bowler has been excellent, there’s no doubt about that. He’s got wickets at regular intervals and he’s been outstanding, and he’s been rewarded with the Team-of-the-Year in the 50-over.”
