Three months after gushing over Shamar Joseph’s exploits in the recent Australia Test cricket series, Darren Sammy doesn’t seem now too sure about fast-forwarding ace-fast bowler Shamar Joseph into West Indies T20 squad.
At his recent media conference, the team’s limited overs head coach was guarded on making the Test star a certainty for the T20 World Cup squad.
Although he said most of the squad for the team’s challenge for the title they last won under his leadership in 2016, is known, the former captain now wants to see more of Joseph in the game’s shortest format.
“I don’t believe in the hype, he pointed out, stressing that “hype without substance is still overrated”, but pointed out he hopes the Guyanese gets a chance to perform in the Indian Premier League (IPL) to prove his worth in arguably the world’s biggest T20 competition outside of the World Cup.
Sammy’s thinking currently is a far cry from the enthusiasm he displayed following Joseph’s spectacular Test career start back in January.
After stating is desire to “get his hands on him (Joseph) in the squad” his about-turn in Antigua last Tuesday, would’ve caught even Joseph’s least appreciated fan by surprise as it seemed the pacer was a shoo-in for team’s 15-man squad.
Given that Joseph’s quest to feature in the Indian Premier League (IPL) with his Lucknow Super Giants team, is becoming unrealistic with every passing game played as Coach Justin Langer’s preference seems set on the said four overseas players, he started with, its anxious moments now for Joseph’s fan base.
According to Sammy, Joseph and others in contention will have additional opportunities to impress the selection panel in the specially arranged series against Nepal in the Asian country.
But this pronouncement should be taken with a grain of salt.
By the time the series concludes on May 4, the deadline for submission of the contesting teams’ squads to the International Cricket Council (ICC) will have expired three days prior. And even if the extension date of May 25 for minor changes is utilized, such a move will hardly help with preparation as West Indies is down to take on Papua New Guinea eight days later.
However, if fate intervenes and Afghan pacer Naveen ul-Haq, who is keeping Joseph out of Lucknow’s starting lineup as the fourth overseas player, falls ill or injured and the West Indian gets the opportunity and shines, he surely should win the toss- up with Oshane Thomas to clinch the final fast bowling slot.
Once a speed merchant in recent years, Thomas had fallen off the radar with declining performances for West Indies as the stress of maintaining stamina fitness seemingly have overwhelmed the big Jamaican.
So far he has not capitalized since being recalled for the England series last year, just prior to the T20 rubber in Australia where he toured but didn’t feature in the 2-1 loss West Indies suffered.
Jaden Seales the other top young paceman is only recently back in competition after a lengthy layoff from injury and is currently finding his feet in the long format in the English County Championship.
And as the IPL gathers momentum in the preliminary stage Sammy, ought not to be overly satisfied with state of affairs of the nine active West Indians on show.
Apart from Shamar Joseph, WI T20 Captain Rovman Powell, Sherfane Rutherford and Shai Hope have not managed to lift a bat after not making the cut after five rounds of competition, minimizing their preparation for the June 1-29 extravaganza.
Alzarri Joseph, expected to spearhead the World Cup fast bowling attack is having a rough go of it as his three stints for Bangalore with the ball have yielded an economy rate of 11.89 runs per over to go with a solitary wicket. Shimron Hetmyer seems happy with his finishing role with Rajasthan Royals, going at a strike rate of 200 batting at number seven for total of 70 runs, undefeated five times from as many games.
However, with the likes of Romario Shepherd, Andre Russell and Rutherford of similar ilk in the mix, West Indies should desire him a more substantial role going in higher in the order to better fulfill his talent.
Russell’s plundering bat is maintaining a refreshing run of consistent performances following two pulsating knocks in the just concluded Australia three-game rubber. Russell had the Kolkata crowd on its feet with similar whirlwind knocks of 64 runs from 25 balls and 41 from 19 for the Knightriders in two of three innings, in a refreshing change for West Indies’ premier T20 all-rounder. In batting deeper in his crease than normal, he seems better leveraged to smash back- of -the- length deliveries over the boundaries, more often than not, unlike in the past to high quality bowling.
Shepherd seemingly inspired by the exploits of his fellow West Indian, produced the most eye-popping batting display in the competition so far with his 32- run bashing of South African speedster Anrich Nortje in one over, in his first opportunity to play for Mumbai Indians.
Like Russell, Shepherd’s new approach is seemingly paying dividends.
Nicholas Pooran is also enjoying a creditable run so far with Lucknow, accumulating a strike rate of 167 from a tally of 178 runs, averaging 89 from five not outs.
For Shamar Joseph though, it is an excruciating wait in his debut IPL debut series. Unaccustomed to warming the bench in his short international career so far, the Berbician is a man of faith and must be confident his time will come to provide his brand of T20 fireworks with the ball in India and beyond.
