Joseph: “I don’t go there to make friends”
West Indies fast bowler Alzarri Joseph has responded to comments made by Daren Sammy that he “declined selection” for the ongoing Test series against Pakistan, saying the coach’s statement was “controversial” and “without context.”
In a press release confirming the team ahead of the series, CWI stated that Joseph was “unavailable for selection due to personal reasons.” However, when addressing the Antiguan’s absence, Sammy declared, “Mr. Joseph has declined selection.”
Joseph, in the meantime, now says he had conversations with both Cricket West Indies and Sammy while deciding on his unavailability.
“We had a chat, I and the head coach. I’ve also had a chat with CWI, and if you realize the statement CWI released said ‘personal reasons'," Joseph began to explain on the Good Morning Jojo Sport Show earlier this week.
“I’ve been out for an entire year. I haven’t played at international intensity for so long after having a second stress fracture. We spoke about me playing the two Test matches here, playing five back-to-back ODIs, and how my body was feeling, and I knew my body was not ready to go into another Test series. So, the statement in itself is controversial, without context,” he expounded.
