CWI suspends Joseph for two matches despite unconditional apology

Cricket West Indies (CWI), on October 8 (Friday), suspended Alzarri Joseph after taking cognisance of his on-field bad behaviour during the third ODI against England on October 6. In its statement, the board said that the actions of the pacer were not at all aligned with the core values of the CWI.

"Such conduct cannot be overlooked, and we have taken decisive action to ensure the gravity of the situation is fully acknowledged,” Miles Bascombe, CWI Director of Cricket, was quoted as saying by ESPNcricinfo. 

The matter pertains to the fourth over of the match at Bridgetown, Barbados. It was an issue related to field placement between Joseph and the skipper, Shai Hope. After not celebrating the wicket of Jordon Cox that he took, the 27-year-old stormed into the dressing room, only to return later in the match and complete his quota of 10 overs. 

Joseph unconditionally apologised for his behaviour but had to bear the brunt of being the reason for one of the rarest occurrences in the gentleman’s game. 

“My passion got the best of me. I apologised to captain Shai Hope, my team-mates and management. I also extend 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 caused,” the right-arm pacer had said after the game. 

Though Windies managed to claim the series 2-1, head coach Daren Sammy said that it was not an incident that he is proud of. 

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