West Indies head coach Daren Sammy did not hold back when addressing Alzarri Joseph’s on-field behavior during the third ODI against England, describing it as “unacceptable” and calling for an urgent conversation on the incident. Joseph’s frustration emerged during the fourth over, where he seemed visibly upset with a fielding arrangement set by captain Shai Hope.
Despite claiming the wicket of Jordan Cox off the fourth delivery, Joseph did not celebrate, instead choosing to return to his mark after a heated exchange with hope, displaying clear signs of discord. Then, at the end of the over, he abruptly exited the field without informing the team, leaving West Indies one fielder short for the fifth over.
Sammy expressed his concerns about the fast bowler’s actions. Speaking to TalkSPORT after the game, Sammy stated, “Behaviour like that is unacceptable on my cricket field. We will be friends…but in the culture I’m trying to build, that’s unacceptable. We will definitely have a chat about that.”
Joseph’s sporadic field exits further disrupted his participation in the match. After his initial departure, he rejoined the team for the sixth over but refrained from bowling until the 12th. Despite returning to his role briefly, he left the field again after back-to-back misfields off his own deliveries resulted in England securing additional runs through overthrows.
Joseph later returned to complete his quota, finishing with figures of 2 for 45 in his 10 overs, taking the wickets of Cox and Dan Mousley.
Sammy’s coaching style brought back WI star
Sammy’s leadership style has been instrumental in bringing key players back to the fold, including stars like Andre Russell and Evin Lewis. He explained his approach to handling team dynamics, saying, “I pride myself on having the difficult conversations. But in a way that everybody understands what is needed to be done. To see guys going out there and slowly progressing in the right direction makes me proud.”
For Sammy, building a disciplined and committed team culture remains a top priority, though he acknowledged there is still “a lot of work to be done.”
The ODI series ultimately ended in favour of West Indies, who clinched it 2-1, setting an encouraging tone as they prepare for the upcoming five-match T20 series. Sammy hinted that fans could see some familiar faces return to the squad, with Nicholas Pooran and Akeal Hosein expected to join after missing the recent series against Sri Lanka.
