Now hailed as the ‘Hero of the Gabba’, Baracara’s Shamar Joseph, the fast bowler who had a mercurial rise to fame after just two test matches in Australia, has been named as the International Cricket Council’s (ICC) Player of the Month for January.
Joseph’s emergence onto the international cricket scene was so prolific that he beat off the competition of English batsman Ollie Pope and Australian great Josh Hazlewood to claim the first men’s monthly award for 2024.
With his first delivery in test cricket, Joseph picked up the prized wicket of the world’s No. 2 ranked test batsman, Steve Smith.
He would add another four Australian scalps to his belt, ending with impressive figures of 5-94 in his first Test appearance in Adelaide. Not only did he perform with the ball, he fortified his match effort with scores of 36 and 15, coming in at 11.
As if his debut test was not enough, Joseph conjured up an even better performance during the West Indies’ upset victory over Australia in the second Test in Brisbane. He returned with a vengeance in the second innings, even though he sported a busted toe to capture 7-68, which almost single-handedly helped the West Indies to their first Test triumph in Australia since 1997.
Meanwhile, in a comment after the announcement of his accolade, the freshly minted ICC Men’s Player of the Month for January said, “I am extremely delighted to win this award. To get such an award on the world stage feels special. I totally enjoyed every moment of that experience playing for the West Indies in Australia, especially the magic of the final day at the Gabba. Taking the wicket to win the match was a dream!” “It was a truly memorable moment for me, and I just want to continue to work hard and deliver more match-winning performances for the West Indies with the ball and, when required, also with the bat,” he further said.
Joseph concluded, “I want to say special thanks to the teammates and support staff in Australia who backed me from the start to get the job done. I will be the one receiving the award, but this is also for the team and all the fans of the West Indies as well.”
