West Indies pace sensation Shamar Joseph has been ruled out of ILT20 2024. He was signed up to play for the Dubai Capitals but will not feature for them anymore. Shamar’s toe injury is supposed to be the reason why he will miss out on the season.
Shamar bowled West Indies to a series-levelling victory in the Gabba Test. He took 7/68 on the final day with Australia requiring 156 runs to win with 8 wickets in hand. The target for Australia was 217 which seemed and they fell agonisingly short by just 8 runs.
Shamar’s brilliant bowling display despite a toe injury was inspirational behind his team’s first Test victory in Australia after 27 years. The pacer was hit on his right toe on day four from Mitchell Starc. However, he braved his pain to dis out one of the most memorable bowling displays by a visiting cricketer in recent years. He took 13 wickets in the series to be named the Player Of The match and the series.
Joseph attended many press conferences and spoke to many reporters since his heroic feat. In the presser, he explained how he went through his medication and became fit to bowl on the final day of the Test match. However, he is not yet fully fit and will miss the rest of the ILT20 season for the Dubai Capitals.
Also Read: Shamar Joseph bags PSL deal during replacement draft after Gabba heroics
I Will Be Here To Play Test Cricket For West Indies: Shamar Joseph
However, the young pacer after his Gabba heroics said that he will remain committed to playing Test cricket for West Indies and taking that as his priority.
“I will always be here to play Test cricket for the West Indies. I am not afraid to say this live. There will be times when T20 might come around and Test cricket will be there … but I will always be available to play for the West Indies no matter how much money comes towards me.” he said.
Meanwhile, former Windies pacer Ian Bishop spoke about managing the workload on the young pressure and not have him burn out with too much cricket keeping in mind that he is a prized possession for West Indies cricket.
“Important for the board, Guyana govt & cooperate bodies to find a way to allocate funds to compensate Shamar Joseph & 1 or 2 other fast bowlers to keep them in the Caribbean & control how much cricket they play. Their pace is everything. Don’t allow burnout” Bishop posted on Twitter.
West Indies will now play a three-match ODI series followed by a three-match T20I series. Joseph is not a part of the WIndies white-ball sides and will undergo treatment on his toe in the meantime. He could come back into contention for the T20 World Cup later this year in June. West Indies play their next Test series against England in England in July where they are scheduled to play a three-match Test series.
Speaking about Shamar Joseph, alongside an ILT20 contract, he also picked up a PSL contract as he was signed up by Peshawar Zalmi to play for the franchise. He was named as a replacement for Gus Atkinson, the England pacer. The PSL 9 season starts on February 17 and the final will be played on March 18. However, with his toe injury, Joseph might turn up for the league as well.
