• Source:JND
Add as a preferred

Shamar Joseph Cricketing Journey: Shamar Joseph, West Indies brand new speedster turned into a hero as he helped the team create history with a remarkable win over Australia in the second Test at the Gabba in Brisbane on Sunday, January 28.

The fortress of Gabba was breached once again in the month of January but after three years since India created history as West Indies leveled the two-match series 1-1 by registering their first-ever Test win on Australian soil since 1997.

The hosts were bundled out for 207 while chasing the 216-run target as Shamar Joseph picked up seven wickets, eight in total, in just the second Test of his career.

Joseph, who went for scans after getting hit on the toe by a lethal yorker of Mitchell Starc on the third day, somehow made it to the field which he never believed he would be doing once the thrilling action headed onto the fourth day.

He pocketed a total of 14 wickets in 2 games, being the second-highest wicket-taker in the 2-match series, and bagged the Player of the match as well as the Player of the Series awards.

 

Early stage of life and beginning of cricketing career

However, his journey has been nothing different from a fairytale as nobody would have thought that a bowler who wasn't even playing first-class cricket less than a year ago would be etching his name in the history books for helping West Indies register one of their greatest Test wins.

It is to be noted that the last time Australia were defeated at the Gabba in 2021, Joseph was back home working as a security officer in Berbice.

The young pace bowler, who hails from a remote area in Guyana, initially used to pick fruits or melted plastic bottles to turn them into a ball and play cricket with his cousin.

His ordinary life took a major turn when with the support of his fiance, Joseph decided to quit his job and pursue his cricketing ambitions full-time.

It was through West Indies teammate Romario Shepherd that Joseph got to witness himself coming into first-class cricket as the all-rounder introduced him to the Guyana cricket team where he got to meet the head coach and other players from the place.

He made his first-class debut for Guyana against Barbados on 1 February 2023 during the 2022–23 West Indies Championship and went on to impress everyone with his first five-wicket haul against the Windward Islands, ending with the figures of 5/41 in a spell bowling 12 overs.

After being initially brought as a net bowler by Guyana Amazon Warriors for the CPL 2023, Joseph made his T20 debut in a league stage match against Barbados Royals and ended up winning the league the same season, having played just two matches.

In November 2023, he was named in the West Indies A side for their tour of South Africa and came into the limelight after ending the series as the joint-highest wicket-taker for the West Indies A side alongside Kevin Sinclair with 12 scalps.

 

International debut

Having been named as one of the seven uncapped players in West Indies' Test squad for the Australia tour, was handed over the debut cap from the legendary Brian Lara ahead of the Adelaide Test.

He was straight into the action and removed the Aussie vice-captain and star batter Steve Smith in his first over, announcing his arrival at the international level.

Shamar went on to bag a five-wicket haul on his Test debut and also contributed with the bat with 36 runs but West Indies lost the match by 10 wickets to go 0-1 down in the series.

In the second Test at Brisbane, he managed just one wicket but made the most in the remaining part of the game.

He was hit on the toe by a lethal yorker from Mitchell Starc and was retired hurt as his absence put an end to West Indies' second innings.

Despite remaining concerned about taking the field in the remaining part of the game, Shamar was keen to bowl on the fourth day and informed his skipper to stick to him until the fall of the final wicket.

He didn't bowl late on the third day but started the proceedings with the wicket of Cameron Green for 42 runs followed by the wickets of Travis Head (0), Mitchell Marsh (10), Alex Carey (2), Mitchell Starc (21), and Aussie skipper Pat Cummins (2).

Just when it looked like Smith would take the game away from the visitors as he was well set to do it, Alzarri Joseph removed Nathan Lyon for 9 runs.

However, Smith got pumped up and played a ramp shot for a six, taking his team closer to the win but a single to Josh Hazlewood turned out to be a mistake as Shamar Joseph dismissed him to hand over West Indies a win to remember for a long long time.