By Neto Baptiste
Iconic former West Indies and Antiguan fast bowler, Sir Curtly Ambrose, said he was not totally impressed with young fast bowler countryman, Alzarri Joseph, during the regional team’s recent three Test series against England.
Sir Curtly, who claimed 408 wickets in 98 Test for the West Indies, said the speedster was “not himself” throughout the series and could have put a bit more effort into his bowling.
“I was a little bit disappointed with the performance of Alzarri Joseph. The pitches they played on, obviously, they were not the quickest, but as a fast bowler you can’t be telling yourself that boy, it’s a slow pitch so I am going to just amble in and put in a spot, no. Whether a pitch is fast or slow, you as a fast bowler have to put out your best, and Alzarri, to me, it was like he was bowling within himself and not looking to bowl fast,” he said.
Joseph was dropped for the deciding third Test at Emirates, Old Trafford, replaced by countryman and spinner, Rahkeem Cornwall.
Sir Curtly believes that for Joseph to find the level of success that he is capable of achieving, he must become a more aggressive fast bowler.
“Alzarri Joseph is not a put-on-a-sport, hold-up-one-end type of bowler. Jason Holder, the captain, can do that although he really can’t bowl fast but, of course, he can come at one end and put it on a spot and swing it around, seam it around and get a couple of wickets, but Alzarri is a guy who has to run in and bowl fast, look to rough up batsmen. He will look to get wickets obviously, but rough batsmen up and let them know that I am here,” the former player said.
In the first Test, Joseph claimed two wickets for 98 runs in 31 overs while in the second Test, he claimed only one wicket for a total of 84 runs in 37 overs.