'Unacceptable': West Indies coach Darren Sammy fuming after Alzarri Joseph's behavior against England

West Indies head coach Darren Sammy did not hold back from addressing the behavior of fast bowler Alzarri Joseph during the third ODI against England in Bridgetown. Joseph's actions, which included leaving the field after a disagreement with captain Shai Hope, were publicly criticized by Sammy, who labeled the behavior “unacceptable”. The incident came to light in the fourth over when Joseph expressed his frustration with Hope over field placement. Despite England's Jordan Cox being caught behind the wicket, Joseph did not celebrate with his team.

Instead, he quietly returned to his mark and walked off the field without any notice at the end of the over. His sudden departure forced West Indies to take the field with only ten players at the start of the fifth over, causing confusion among teammates and spectators.

“This kind of behavior is unacceptable on my cricket ground,” Sammy said in an interview with talkSPORT after the game. “We will remain friends…but in the culture I am trying to build, that is unacceptable. We will definitely talk about it.

Joseph returned to the pitch briefly at the start of the sixth over, but his frustration persisted. After two misfields off his own bowling, which led to overthrows, he once again walked off the field. Although he resumed bowling later in the innings and finished with respectable figures of 2 for 45, his performance was eclipsed by his obvious dissatisfaction.

Since being appointed head coach in May 2023, Sammy has placed emphasis on creating a positive team culture within West Indies cricket. Known for his player-management skills, Sammy has encouraged several players, including Andre Russell and Evin Lewis, to return to the international game. He is confident in his approach even in difficult conversations.

“I pride myself on having difficult conversations,” Sammy said. “But in a way that everyone can understand what needs to be done. Seeing people getting there and slowly moving in the right direction makes me feel proud.

Despite Joseph's controversial exit, West Indies secured the ODI series 2–1. The team's focus is now on the upcoming T20 series against England starting on Saturday. Sammy hinted that star players like Nicholas Pooran and Akeal Hosein, who were absent in the recent series against Sri Lanka, will return for the T20Is.

“Our T20 team is our most successful team and our most settled team. So, yes, we include some new people…but our T20 team generally picks itself,” he commented.