– says the Guyana head of state is an amazing person

TWENTY-four-year-old West Indies Test fast bowler Shamar Joseph became an instant sensation, when in only his second Test match, he captured 7-68 from 11.5 consecutive overs as West Indies beat Australia inside four days to register their first win in Australia since 1997.

The Berbician, who hails from Baracara, a small community in East Berbice-Corentyne, Guyana, about 225 km up the Canje River, praised Guyana’s President Dr Irfaan Ali for the assistance provided in getting him to this stage of his career.

“President Ali called but I was in a deep sleep. I just want to give a shout out to him to say how grateful I am to him for all he has done for me” disclosed Joseph, whose 13 scalps earned him the Man-of-the-Series.

“He is an amazing person… he is the one who got me into certain positions and so… I want to him to continue to do the great work he is doing all the time,” expressed Joseph, who played two of his First-Class games in the ‘A’ team series in South Africa.

Joseph’s figures against Australia is only bettered by Courtly Ambrose, Andy Roberts and Gerry Gomez and is his second five-wicket haul in his second Test.

On his Test debut, Joseph became the only second West Indian after Tyrell Johnson to capture a wicket off his first ball when he removed Steve Smith for 12. Johnson dismissed Walter Keeton with his first ball in the 1939 series in England.

Joseph is the tenth West Indian to take a five-wicket haul on test debut and became the second bowler in test cricket after Nathan Lyon to complete the double of having taken a wicket off his first ball and taking a 5-for wickets on Test debut.

He also became the first West Indies player to achieve the unique distinction of making over 50 runs and taking a five-wicket haul on debut.

Joseph, who never played at the youth level for Guyana, made his first-class debut for Guyana against Barbados on February 1, 2023 and took his first five-wicket haul (5-41) in first-class cricket against Windward Islands.

He has taken 34 wickets from seven First-Class games and has four five wicket hauls.

Joseph moved from Baracara at an early age to New Amsterdam where he played for Tucber Park and although he now resides on the East Bank Demerara with his wife and two kids, he plays for Berbice in Inter-County County cricket and Everest in the city at first division level.

Joseph has three sisters and five brothers and one of them (Floy) played for Demerara at the Inter-County level.