'Behaviour Like That is Unacceptable on My Cricket Field': Daren Sammy Criticizes Alzarri Joseph After On-Field Incident
Sammy, speaking to TalkSPORT after the match, did not hold back in expressing his dissatisfaction. “Behaviour like that is unacceptable on my cricket field,” he said. “We will be friends, but in the culture I'm trying to build, that's unacceptable.
West Indies head coach Daren Sammy has addressed Alzarri Joseph's controversial on-field behavior during the third ODI against England, calling it "unacceptable." Joseph's frustration became evident in the fourth over when he had a heated exchange with captain Shai Hope over a fielding arrangement. Despite taking the wicket of Jordan Cox off the fourth ball, Joseph showed no celebration and appeared visibly upset, choosing to return to his mark without acknowledging the wicket. The situation escalated when, at the end of the over, Joseph abruptly walked off the field, leaving West Indies one fielder short for the next over.
Sammy, speaking to TalkSPORT after the match, did not hold back in expressing his dissatisfaction. “Behaviour like that is unacceptable on my cricket field,” he said. “We will be friends, but in the culture I'm trying to build, that's unacceptable. We will definitely have a chat about that.” Sammy emphasized the importance of discipline and respect within the team culture.
Joseph’s disruptive behavior continued as he left the field again after a series of misfields, contributing to overthrows and giving England extra runs. Although he returned to bowl briefly, it wasn't until the 12th over that he resumed full participation. Joseph finished his 10 overs with figures of 2 for 45, taking wickets of Cox and Dan Mousley.
Sammy's leadership has been key in revitalizing the West Indies team, helping bring back prominent players like Andre Russell and Evin Lewis. Reflecting on his approach to team dynamics, he shared, “I pride myself on having the difficult conversations...but in a way that everybody understands what is needed to be done.” Sammy is focused on building a strong team culture, despite acknowledging that there is still “a lot of work to be done.”
West Indies clinched the ODI series 2-1 and now look ahead to a five-match T20 series. Sammy hinted that familiar faces like Nicholas Pooran and Akeal Hosein, who missed the recent Sri Lanka series, could rejoin the squad for the upcoming matches.
