TWENTY-FOUR-YEAR-OLD Berbice, Guyana and West Indies ‘A’ fast bowler Shamar Joseph is among five Guyanese selected for the West Indies tour to Australia which starts with the first Test on January 16, 2024.

Joseph, who has two five-wicket hauls and 21 wickets from five first-class matches, said he was not really surprised at his selection when he got the call from Chairman of Selectors Desmond Haynes.

“I knew the criteria was [sic] about performance and since making my first-class [debut] for Guyana in February, I have been doing well and my five-wicket [haul] against South Africa ‘A,’ I knew I was not far away from playing at the highest level which has always been my passion and dream,” said a confident Joseph.

I hope to play in Australia and if I do, I will grab it with both hands since I worked very hard for this and I will continue to train hard, since that is something I enjoy doing,” said Joseph, who came to prominence during the BCB’s fast-bowling camp with Sir Curtly Ambrose at Albion last year.

When he was told that he could join the late Clyde Butts and left-arm spinner Neil McGarrell as the only Guyanese not to play youth cricket but to play Test cricket, Joseph expressed surprise.
“I never knew that. I have heard of McGarrell but I knew Mr. Butts very well. When he first saw me bowl, he was the first person to tell me that if I keep bowling fast and gain variations, I would one day play Test cricket.

“My biggest regret is that [he] does not know that I got picked. My aim is to make him, my family, my country and the entire West Indies proud by giving my best at all times,” said Joseph who worked as a security guard but give up that job to focus on his cricket.

Joseph now lives on the East Bank of Demerara with his reputed wife and two little sons and made his senior Inter-County debut last year for the President’s XI before playing for Berbice this year.
The mother of two babies is his biggest supporter and attends all of his matches in Guyana, accompanied by her sons.

He joined the Everest Cricket Club in the city where his older brother Floy Joseph also plays and is a good enough pacer to have been selected for Demerara in this year’s Super50 tournament.
Joseph who was born in New Amsterdam on August 31, 1999, hails from Tucber Park, where he started playing cricket for Tucber Park Club.

On March 26, 2022, he took 6-12 on his BCB’s Tenelec Inc First-Division debut against West Berbice, who were bowled out for 37 at the Cotton Tree ground before making his inter-county debut that same year.
He was named as one of four uncapped players by the Guyana Harpy Eagles for the 55th edition of the Regional Four Day Competition tournament and made his first-class debut for Guyana against Barbados on February 1, this year.

He captured his maiden first-class five-wicket haul against Windward Islands when he had 5-41 from 12 overs.
Joesph got a lucky break when in this year’s CPL, he was a ‘nets’ bowler for the Guyana Amazon Warriors. He got into the team when Keemo Paul got injured and was a part of the Warriors’ championship-winning team.

Joseph, made his T20 debut against Barbados Royals on September 17, 2023 and was one of the key members of the ‘Warriors’ which won its first CPL title, with his speeds clocking over 140 kph consistently.
In another slice of luck, Joseph made his List ‘A’ debut against Barbados on October 29, 2023 in the Super50 Cup.

He was included as an injury replacement for Ronsford Beaton.
In November 2023, he was named in the West Indies ‘A’ side for their tour of South Africa to play against the South African ‘A’ side in a three-match first-class series, where he two his second first-class five-wicket haul.