The International Cricket Council (ICC) has announced young West Indies sensation Shamar Joseph as the winner of the Men’s Player of the Month award for January. Shamar Joseph beat contenders Josh Hazlewood and Ollie Pope to secure the prestigious award.
Joseph made his international debut for the West Indies during the first Test of the series. He showcased his talent and made a significant impact despite having limited experience in first-class cricket. He troubled the Australian batsmen throughout the series with his great pace.
Shamar Joseph guides West Indies to first Test win in Australia in 27 years
In the inaugural Test match in Adelaide, the young cricketer contributed a crucial 36 runs, batting at 11 during the West Indies’ first innings. Additionally, Joseph impressed with his bowling performance, securing his first five-wicket haul during the series opener.
The 24-year-old fast bowler’s most memorable red-ball performance came during the second match in Brisbane. He managed to take only one wicket in Australia’s first innings. To make matters worse, he suffered a toe injury from a Mitchell Starc pitch while batting.
Joseph overcame the pain to put in a remarkable bowling performance, taking figures of 7/68 in the final innings. He led the team to a thrilling eight-run victory, leveling the series at 1-1. Notably, it was the West Indies’ first Test victory in Australia in 27 years.
He took an impressive tally of 13 wickets in both Test matches at an impressive average of 17.30. Additionally, he contributed with the bat, scoring 57 runs at a respectable average of 28.50. Joseph was named Player of the Series for his valuable contributions.
Tears flow from my eyes – Shamar Joseph
Speaking after the match, Shamar Joseph revealed that he cried after taking a five-wicket haul. He highlighted the importance of the Test victory for the West Indies. He also expressed his commitment to bowling until he fell the last wicket, despite a toe injury.
“It brings tears to my eyes, but I already cried when I did the five-wicket haul. “I’m happy to have won the test, I don’t remember when we last beat Australia, but today is a big day for us, I just want us to enjoy, celebrate and be happy.”
“It’s hard but I’m not that tired because I wanted to do this for my team. I told my skipper that I would bowl till the end until the last wicket fell. No matter what my toe is like, I’m fine, I did it for him and I’m happy he’s proud of me now,” Joseph said.
Shamar Joseph’s remarkable bowling display in Australia led to him getting his first IPL contract. Lucknow Super Giants signed him for Rs 3 crore as a replacement for English pacer Mark Wood. He played only two T20 matches, with no wickets to his name.
LSG has shown good performances in its first two seasons, reaching the playoffs both times. However, they failed to reach the finals as they suffered defeats against Royal Challengers Bangalore and Mumbai Indians in 2022 and 2023 respectively.
Also Read: “It was expected…” – Aakash Chopra explains why LSG replaced Mark Wood with Shamar Joseph for IPL 2024