West Indies bowler Joseph suspended after stepping off the field

Alzarri Joseph © Gallo Images

West Indies fast bowler Alzarri Joseph was suspended for two matches after storming off the field during the ODI series win over England on Thursday.

Cricket West Indies (CWI) said Joseph was sanctioned for “conduct that did not comply with the CWI’s standards of professionalism”.

Joseph walked off the field in Wednesday’s match at Kensington Oval in Barbados in an apparent protest of West Indies captain Shai Hope fielding him shortly after taking the wicket of Jordan Cox in the fourth over.

This briefly reduced the West Indies to 10 players before Joseph returned for the sixth over.

“Alzarri’s behavior was not consistent with the core values ​​that Cricket West Indies supports,” CWI director of cricket Miles Bascombe said in a statement. he said.

“Such behavior cannot be ignored and we have taken decisive action to ensure the seriousness of the situation is fully recognised.”

Joseph apologized in the same statement, saying “my passion got the better of me.”

“I personally apologized to captain Shai Hope, my teammates and the management,” Joseph, 27, said.

“I also offer my sincerest apologies to the West Indies fans. I understand that even a brief lapse in judgment can have a far-reaching impact and I deeply regret any disappointment I have caused.”