Uncapped Shamar Joseph earns Windies’ T20 World Cup berth
Shamar Joseph, the hero of West Indies’ memorable Gabba Test victory earlier this year, has been picked for the T20 World Cup despite having never played an international match in the format.
Joseph led the Windies to one of their most famous victories in January when he bowled through a foot injury to take 7-68 and cap a remarkable debut international series.
It won the 24-year-old an Indian Premier League berth for the Justin Langer-coached Lucknow Super Giants, for whom he has played only one game, conceding 0-47 from four overs.
And although that match, in April, and a single Caribbean Premier League game for his native Guyana in September, are the only two senior T20 matches of his career, co-hosts West Indies have taken a flyer on the pocket-rocket paceman.
“You really can’t question Shamar Joseph’s skills,” Windies selection chair Desmond Haynes said. “You saw him in Australia. We were looking at someone up front bowling the first powerplay and he ticks the boxes.”
Joseph was the headline announcement in a 15-man squad captained by Rovman Powell and featuring leading lights Jason Holder, Andre Russell, Alzarri Joseph and Nicholas Pooran.
Shimron Hetmyer, left out of the Windies’ last T20 World Cup squad after missing his flight to Australia, has also been selected despite missing the Windies’ most recent T20 matches in February.
Kyle Mayers missed out, while
Haynes said Sunil Narine had not made himself available.
Coach Daren Sammy, captain of the Windies’ two successful T20 World Cup titles in 2012 and 2016, said Joseph had edged out fellow quick Matthew Forde.
“Shamar Joseph has the pace, he has skills with the new ball,” Sammy said. “Not saying Matthew Forde doesn’t, but when you look at the role, it makes it easier for us to now pick the personnel to fit that role.”
Along with England, West Indies are the only team to have won multiple T20 titles, though they have not made it out of the group stage in the last two editions of the tournament.
They should have a soft entry into this year’s event, facing Papua New Guinea and Uganda in Guyana to begin the tournament, before matches against New Zealand (in Trinidad) and Afghanistan (in St Lucia).
How they fare in those two matches appear likely to determine whether they qualify for the Super Eights stage.
“I’m making it very clear to everybody that whatever team that you hear us put out today, that team we feel is going to win the World Cup,” said Haynes.
| West Indies World Cup squad | |
| Rovman Powell (capt), Alzarri Joseph (vc), Johnson Charles, Roston Chase, Shimron Hetmyer, Shamar Joseph, Brandon King, Nicholas Pooran, Shai Hope, Andre Russell, Romario Shepherd, Jason Holder, Akeal Hosein, Gudakesh Motie, Sherfane Rutherford |