West Indies pacer Alzarri Joseph has responded to head coach Daren Sammy’s claims that he declined selection for the ongoing two-Test series against Pakistan at home. West Indies are 1-0 up in the series, thanks to a 90-run win in the first Test in Tarouba.
According to a CWI release, Joseph was unavailable due to "personal reasons" when the series team was revealed on July 23.
However, the very next day, Sammy, speaking at a press conference, revealed that Alzarri Joseph had declined selection for the Tests.
"Mr. Joseph has declined selection. That's the reality of the situation. He was selected. I mean, he's now coming from injury. And for reasons since, he has declined the selection,” Sammy stated at the presser.
Now Joseph has refuted Sammy’s claims and called his statement "controversial, without context."
"We had a chat, myself and the head coach. I've also had a chat with CWI, and you realize 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.
Like I said, he knows exactly what that statement would have done and the narrative it would have pushed in the public,” Alzarri Joseph said on the Antigua Observer's Good Morning Jojo Sports Show.
Joseph explained that he was cautious because of the stress fracture in his lower back that prevented him from traveling to New Zealand and India before allowing him to return for the Test matches against Sri Lanka in June of this year. For about a year, he was inactive.
"Obviously, 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 and playing five back-to-back ODIs [against New Zealand earlier this month], and how my body was feeling, and I knew, myself, my body was not ready to go into another Test series. So, the statement in itself is controversial, without context,” Joseph stated.
He was then asked whether his reaction and Sammy's statement make it difficult for them to collaborate in the future.
Joseph said, "I'm a professional, so I'm going to go to work. I am representing the West Indies. I'm not representing Daren Sammy, so for me, I'm neither here nor there in terms of a relationship. I don't go there to make friends. I go there to work and do a job and represent the people of the West Indies.”
The second test between the West Indies and Pakistan will begin on Sunday in Trinidad. Their next assignment will be a limited-overs series in India in September-October.
(Cricinfo inputs)
