The struggle to keep young West Indian players committed to Test cricket amid the lure of global T20 leagues has once again been highlighted, ahead of the upcoming series against Pakistan.
Alzarri Joseph, who holds a Cricket West Indies (CWI) central contract, has opted to participate in the International League T20 (ILT20), breaking up what many cricket commentators see as a potentially game-changing fast bowling quartet.
West Indies cricket has been world-renowned for producing fierce pace bowling. Windies selectors likely believed that Alzarri Joseph, Shamar Joseph, Kemar Roach, and Jayden Seales could form the latest iteration of this tradition. However, struggles have emerged in keeping this combination intact.
The quartet has received high praise from well-known figures in the game, including legendary West Indian pace bowler Courtney Walsh. Walsh, widely regarded as one of the finest Test match pacemen of all time, took 519 wickets in 132 matches between 1984 and 2001. He shared his admiration for the new quartet’s skills.
“I like what I saw, especially in the last Test match—four fast bowlers not just going at it but being sensible, being very competitive, making adjustments as they read the pitch and stuff,” he said. “That’s what you want to see, and that was what impressed me the most. They were well looked after on the field of play in terms of not being overboard because they were back-to-back Test matches, so the planning just looks very good.”
Other commentators have even drawn parallels between this group of bowlers and a quartet of old, once dubbed the ‘Four Horsemen’, comprising Andy Roberts, Joel Garner, Michael Holding, and Colin Croft. While the current attack is not as accomplished as the dominant older quartet, the group’s potential has been highlighted by many cricketing voices.
The challenge, however, lies in keeping the four specialist bowlers fit and committed to playing for the Men in Maroon. With the Caribbean side currently languishing at the bottom of the ICC World Test Championship standings as this cycle ends, stakeholders are hopeful that this injection of fiery bowlers can become a cornerstone of the rebuilding process.
Guyanese pacer Shamar Joseph is also out of the squad for the two-Test Pakistan tour, as he recovers from injury. Replacing the Josephs will be Trinidad & Tobago medium-fast bowler Anderson Phillip, recalled to the side at the age of 28 after making his two Test appearances in 2022. Off-spinner Kevin Sinclair has also been recalled after two matches in 2024.
Photo caption: (from left) Shamar Joseph, Alzarri Joseph, Kemar Roach, and Jayden Seales.
