Daily Times

It is heaping a lot on to the shoulders of a player who has only played three T20 internationals but West Indies’ hopes of triumphing in their home World Cup may just rest with young fast bowler Shamar Joseph.

The 24-year-old from Guyana may be inexperienced in this form of the game with only six matches to his credit, including one chastening outing for Lucknow Super Giants in the IPL, but he has pace. Just as England were so keen to have Jofra Archer back in their ranks, so the West Indies want Joseph.

They know that in any form of the game pace is a match-winner which is why he got the nod ahead of another young quick Matthew Forde. “Shamar Joseph has the pace, he has skills with the new ball,” said coach Daren Sammy when he named the squad. “Not saying Matthew Forde doesn’t but when you look at the role, it makes it easier for us to now pick the personnel to fit that role.”

Joseph, who had been working as a security guard a year earlier, hit the headlines in January when he ripped through Australia’s much-vaunted batting line-up to win a Test in Brisbane. Playing in only his second Test, Joseph took 7-68 as the West Indies won by just eight runs, their first win in Australia since 1997.

It was a compelling performance which showed that Joseph had the game and technique, not to mention a nose for the theatrical, for the grand arena. The objective for the West Indies, who are in Group C with Afghanistan, New Zealand, Papua New Guinea and Uganda, is evidently to become the first team to lift the T20 World Cup three times — they enjoyed successes in 2012 and 2016, when Carlos Brathwaite smashed England’s Ben Stokes for four consecutive sixes in the last over to win the final.