Public reacts to Joseph’s Windies’ exclusion

There was public outrage over the dropping of Antigua fast bowler, Alzarri Joseph, ahead of the third One Day International (ODI) between the touring India team and the Windies here at the Sir Vivian Richards Cricket Ground yesterday.
Joseph, who shot to fame following his exploits with the Windies youth team during the ICC Under-19 tournament in 2016, was left out of the Windies starting 11 for Friday’s match, much to the surprise of the Antiguan public.
The fast bowler had a poor run in the team’s last match in Trinidad, with 73 runs coming from his eight overs at an economy rate of 9.12 per over.
The public was, however, not pleased with the decision to drop the young player on home soil.
“What kind of message are you sending to the Antiguan public that the second time Alzarri has come to Antigua [as part of the Windies team] and he is not playing and his performance has not been that bad throughout the tournament,” one caller to Observer Radio’s Good Morning Jojo Sports Show said.
“What an injustice that they would have left out Alzarri out of this team and if Winston Benjamin did not criticize them and Courtney Bowne deserves his criticisms,” another caller added.
“When are we Antiguans going to stand up and don’t bother with West Indies? It is better we organize our own twenty/20, our own 50 overs and everything else and just forget they ever wanted us to play for West Indies,” said one frustrated fan who went to the ground to see the youngster play.
Joseph was replaced by St. Vincent & the Grenadines’ Kesrick Williams.
Meanwhile, one senior citizen claims he was told he must pay to enter the ground after he enquired of the promotion which offered one free ticket to patrons 60 years and older.
“I’ve just come from there where I showed my senior citizen’s card and they told me it’s going to cost me EC $54 and I am now back home. I made sure I read it [in the newspaper] and now I am talking to you. I was going to go to check out if it was the same case or rather just a one off person but I am at home and watching it on TV,” he said.
Manager of Marketing & Communications within Cricket West Indies, Carol Beckford, reminded that the senior citizen’s offer is one that is good only until tickets are available and that a limited amount had been printed.
Game 4 will be played on Sunday at the same venue.