In a dramatic turn of events during the third ODI between West Indies and England in Bridgetown, pacer Alzarri Joseph caused a stir by leaving the field abruptly following a tense disagreement with captain Shai Hope over field placements.
After winning the toss and choosing to bowl, West Indies had England at 9-1 early in the powerplay, thanks to a breakthrough by Matthew Forde. However, Joseph’s frustrations came to the surface when he stepped up to bowl his first over.
Following his opening delivery to Jordan Cox, Joseph appeared visibly agitated, gesturing toward the fielders and exchanging heated words with Hope. Despite the apparent tension, Joseph continued to bowl and soon claimed the wicket of Cox, who was caught behind by Hope off a fiery 90mph delivery.
Even with the wicket, Joseph’s frustration remained apparent. West Indies coach Daren Sammy was seen on the boundary, seemingly urging the pacer to keep his composure. However, after completing the over, Joseph stormed off the field, leaving his team a man short. Substitute player Hayden Walsh Jr. prepared to take over, but Joseph made a brief return to the dugout before rejoining the field.
Notably, Joseph did not resume bowling upon his return, with Romario Shepherd taking over the attack in his place. The incident left fans and pundits speculating on the cause of the tension between Joseph and Hope, as well as the impact it could have on the West Indies’ performance in the ongoing match.
