West Indies head coach Daren Sammy has openly criticized fast bowler Alzarri Joseph's conduct during the third ODI against England in Bridgetown, calling it "unacceptable." Joseph’s behavior, which included walking off the field without notice after a disagreement with captain Shai Hope, marred the West Indies’ series-clinching victory.
The incident occurred in the fourth over, when Joseph showed visible frustration over a field placement set by Hope. Even after taking the wicket of Jordan Cox caught behind, Joseph did not celebrate with his teammates and quietly returned to his bowling mark. At the end of the over, Joseph unexpectedly left the field, leaving West Indies a player short for the start of the fifth over. The abrupt exit confused both his teammates and spectators.
Speaking to TalkSPORT after the match, Sammy expressed his disapproval, stating, "Behaviour like that is unacceptable on my cricket field. We will be friends…but in the culture I’m trying to build, that’s unacceptable. We will definitely have a chat about that."
Joseph finished with figures of 2 for 45. However, his strong performance was overshadowed by his visible displeasure.
Since taking over as head coach in May 2023, Sammy has focused on creating a positive and disciplined team environment. Sammy remains confident in his ability to handle difficult situations, including Joseph’s outburst.
“I pride myself on having the difficult conversations,” Sammy said. “But in a way that everybody understands what is needed to be done. To see guys going out there and slowly progressing in the right direction makes me proud.”
Despite Joseph's controversial actions, West Indies clinched the ODI series 2-1 against England.
