{"id":198958,"date":"2026-08-01T02:39:28","date_gmt":"2026-08-01T08:09:28","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/newslink360.space\/?p=198958"},"modified":"2026-08-01T02:39:28","modified_gmt":"2026-08-01T08:09:28","slug":"alzarri-joseph-darren-sammys-comments-on-my-test-unavailability-controversial-without-context","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/newslink360.space\/?p=198958","title":{"rendered":"Alzarri Joseph: Darren Sammy\u2019s comments on my Test unavailability \u2018controversial, without context\u2019"},"content":{"rendered":"


\n<\/p>\n

Darren Sammy\u2019s comments on Alzarri Joseph\u2019s unavailability for the first Test against Pakistan were \u201ccontroversial, without context\u201d, the West Indies fast bowler said, clarifying his position.<\/p>\n

West Indies head coach Sammy, when asked about why Joseph wasn\u2019t part of the two-match series, had said that the pacer had \u201cdeclined\u201d the selection and that his decision was \u201cover\u201d his head.<\/p>\n

\u201cYeah, it is a big loss. Joseph has declined selection. That\u2019s the reality of the situation,\u201d Sammy had said at a press interaction ahead of the series opener.<\/p>\n

\u201cHe was selected. I mean, he\u2019s now coming back from injury. And for reasons since, he has declined the selection. That is a decision that is way over my head. I leave that with the directors to come up with whatever solutions where contracted players get to decline selection.\u201d<\/p>\n

However, Joseph said he had spoken to Sammy earlier, and the coach was aware of his fitness issues going into the series.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe had a chat, me and the head coach. I\u2019ve also had a chat with CWI (Cricket West Indies). And if you realise, the statement CWI released said personal reasons. Mr. Sammy, being around for a long time, knows exactly what that statement would have done so, to be honest, I have nothing to say to Mr. Sammy in terms of his statement,\u201d Joseph said on the Antigua Observer\u2019s Good Morning Jojo Sports Show<\/i>.<\/p>\n

\u201cLike I said, he knows exactly what that statement would have done and the narrative it would have pushed in the public,\u201d he added.<\/p>\n

Joseph has been recovering from a stress fracture in his lower back because of which he was out of action for almost a year, missing Test series against India and New Zealand last year. He returned in June earlier this year to play two Tests against Sri Lanka.<\/p>\n

\u201cI\u2019ve been out for an entire year. I haven\u2019t played at international intensity for so long after having a second stress fracture,\u201d Joseph said.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe spoke about me playing the two Test matches here, playing five back-to-back ODIs (against New Zealand earlier this month) and how my body was feeling and I knew to myself, my body was not ready to go into another Test series. So, the statement in itself is controversial, without context.\u201d<\/p>\n

Despite the issue, Joseph said that he wouldn\u2019t have any problem working with Sammy going forward.<\/p>\n

\u201cI\u2019m a professional, so I\u2019m going to go to work. I am representing the West Indies. I\u2019m not representing Daren Sammy, so for me, I\u2019m neither here nor there in terms of a relationship,\u201d Joseph said.<\/p>\n

\u201cI don\u2019t go there to make friends. I go there to work and do a job and represent the people of the West Indies.\u201d<\/p>\n

West Indies won the first Test by 90 runs and travels to Port of Spain for the final game with a 1-0 lead.<\/p>\n

Published on Aug 01, 2026<\/p>\n<\/div>\n


\n
Source link <\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Darren Sammy\u2019s comments on Alzarri Joseph\u2019s unavailability for the first Test against Pakistan were \u201ccontroversial, without context\u201d, the West Indies fast bowler said, clarifying his position. West Indies head coach Sammy, when asked about why Joseph wasn\u2019t part of the two-match series, had said that the pacer had \u201cdeclined\u201d the selection and that his decision…<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":198959,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_jetpack_newsletter_access":"","_jetpack_dont_email_post_to_subs":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_tier_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paywalled_content":false,"_jetpack_feature_clip_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":"","jetpack_publicize_message":"","jetpack_publicize_feature_enabled":true,"jetpack_social_post_already_shared":true,"jetpack_social_options":{"image_generator_settings":{"template":"highway","default_image_id":0,"font":"","enabled":false},"version":2},"jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false},"categories":[9],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-198958","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-sports"],"jetpack_publicize_connections":[],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"https:\/\/newslink360.space\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/AFP_B8BN4GM.jpg","jetpack_likes_enabled":true,"jetpack-related-posts":[{"id":196427,"url":"https:\/\/newslink360.space\/?p=196427","url_meta":{"origin":198958,"position":0},"title":"WI vs PAK: Alzarri Joseph declined selection for Pakistan Tests, says coach Sammy","author":"Ajay Kumar Verma","date":"July 24, 2026","format":false,"excerpt":"West Indies head coach Darren Sammy has claimed that pacer Alzarri Joseph declined selection for the two-Test home series against Pakistan beginning here on Saturday. 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