Daren Sammy unhappy with Alzarri Joseph’s unacceptable behavior in third ODI against England

West Indies head coach Daren Sammy has labeled Alzarri Joseph's actions during the third ODI against England as "unacceptable" after the fast bowler left the field twice during the match. Joseph’s behavior raised concerns after he had a disagreement with captain Shai Hope over field placements.

In the fourth over of the innings in Bridgetown, Joseph appeared upset with the fielding setup and was seen arguing with Hope. Although he took the wicket of Jordan Cox in the same over, Joseph did not celebrate with the team. Instead, he returned to his mark and then unexpectedly left the field at the end of the over. This forced West Indies to continue with only ten fielders on the pitch as Joseph went into the dressing room.

"Behavior like that is unacceptable on my cricket field," Sammy said in an interview after the match. "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 rejoined the game at the start of the sixth over but did not bowl again until the 12th. After a couple of misfields led to England scoring runs through overthrows, Joseph left the field once more. However, he returned later and bowled the rest of his overs, finishing with 2 wickets for 45 runs in his 10 overs.

Sammy, who took over as head coach in May 2023, is known for his strong leadership and communication skills. He has successfully brought several key players, such as Andre Russell and Evin Lewis, back into the fold.

"I pride myself on having the difficult conversations," Sammy explained. "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."

The West Indies won the series 2-1, and Sammy hinted that key players like Nicholas Pooran and Akeal Hosein, who were absent during their recent series against Sri Lanka, will return for the upcoming T20 series. Sammy also mentioned that the T20 team is the most settled and successful, with some new faces being added to provide them with valuable exposure.

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