Shamar Joseph
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Shamar Joseph (born 31 August 1999) is a Guyanese
cricket Cricket is a Bat-and-ball games, bat-and-ball game played between two Sports team, teams of eleven players on a cricket field, field, at the centre of which is a cricket pitch, pitch with a wicket at each end, each comprising two Bail (cr ...
er who plays for
Guyana Guyana, officially the Co-operative Republic of Guyana, is a country on the northern coast of South America, part of the historic British West Indies. entry "Guyana" Georgetown, Guyana, Georgetown is the capital of Guyana and is also the co ...
in first-class cricket and for the West Indies in international cricket. He is a right-arm fast bowler. He made his international debut for the
West Indies The West Indies is an island subregion of the Americas, surrounded by the Atlantic Ocean, North Atlantic Ocean and the Caribbean Sea, which comprises 13 independent island country, island countries and 19 dependent territory, dependencies in thr ...
in January 2024 against Australia at the
Adelaide Oval The Adelaide Oval is a stadium in Adelaide in the state of South Australia. It is located in the Adelaide Parklands, parklands. The venue is predominantly used for cricket and Australian rules football, but has also played host to rugby league, ...
. Prior to his professional cricket career, he worked as a
security guard A security guard (also known as a security inspector, security officer, factory guard, or protective agent) is a person employed by a government or private party to protect the employing party's assets (property, people, equipment, money, etc.) ...
.


Biography

Joseph is from
Baracara Baracara village was founded by African diaspora in the Americas, people of African descent in the East Berbice-Corentyne Region of Guyana, located on the Canje River. The community has also been called New Ground Village or Wel te Vreeden. Baracar ...
, a small community in
East Berbice-Corentyne East Berbice-Corentyne (Region 6) is one of ten regions in Guyana covering the whole of the east of the country. It borders the Atlantic Ocean to the north, the Nickerie District and Sipaliwini District of Suriname to the east, Brazil to the sou ...
,
Guyana Guyana, officially the Co-operative Republic of Guyana, is a country on the northern coast of South America, part of the historic British West Indies. entry "Guyana" Georgetown, Guyana, Georgetown is the capital of Guyana and is also the co ...
, about 225 km up the Canje River and two days by boat from the port city of
New Amsterdam New Amsterdam (, ) was a 17th-century Dutch Empire, Dutch settlement established at the southern tip of Manhattan Island that served as the seat of the colonial government in New Netherland. The initial trading ''Factory (trading post), fac ...
. He grew up with little to no access to
internet The Internet (or internet) is the Global network, global system of interconnected computer networks that uses the Internet protocol suite (TCP/IP) to communicate between networks and devices. It is a internetworking, network of networks ...
facilities or telephone connections. Joseph grew up in a family of three sisters and five brothers. He idolised
Curtly Ambrose Sir Curtly Elconn Lynwall Ambrose KCN (born 21 September 1963) is an Antiguan former cricketer who played 98 Test matches for the West Indies. Widely acknowledged as one of the greatest fast bowlers of all time, he took 405 Test wickets at ...
and
Courtney Walsh Courtney Andrew Walsh OJ (born 30 October 1962) is a Jamaican former cricketer who represented the West Indies from 1984 to 2001, captaining the team in 22 Test matches. He played as a fast bowler and is considered one of the all-time greats, ...
, opening bowlers for the West Indies cricket team, watching their highlights and imitating them in his tape ball games around the village. He started bowling with fruits such as lemons, limes, guavas and peaches along with a tape ball, in what was dubbed "jungle-land cricket" in the region. He also practiced using balls made of melted plastic bottles. He experienced his first taste of cricket playing for Tucber Park Cricket Club in a few first-division and second-division matches. He became the first test cricketer from Baracara.


Early career

Prior to his cricket career, Joseph worked with his siblings and father in the logging industry, felling and chopping logs in Baracara and transporting the timber down the Canje River to New Amsterdam. Following an incident in which a falling tree nearly hit him, Joseph decided to move away from Baracara, and relocated to New Amsterdam seeking work to support his family. In New Amsterdam, Joseph found employment first in construction, working as a labourer, and then as a security guard at the Amalgamated Security Services in Scotiabank, New Amsterdam. His job as a security guard required him to work long, 12-hour shifts, across day and night, leaving little scope for cricketing endeavours. Eventually, with the support of his fiancée, Joseph decided to quit his job and pursue his cricketing ambitions full time.


Domestic career

It was through
Romario Shepherd Romario Shepherd (born 26 November 1994) is a Guyanese cricketer who plays for Guyana in domestic cricket and for West Indies in international cricket. He made his international debut for West Indies in November 2019. Domestic and franchise care ...
that Joseph got his first break in cricket. Shepherd introduced Joseph to the Guyana cricket team where Joseph connected with
Esuan Crandon Esuan Asqui Crandon (born 17 December 1981) is a first class cricketer who played for Guyana. A right arm fast bowler, Crandon debuted in 2000/01 and has career best innings figures of 7/125. He is known for his skiddy seamers and being economic ...
, the Guyana head coach, and with other senior Guyanese players including then Guyana team captain Leon Johnson. He also received support from former Guyanese cricketer turned businessman Damion Vantull who assured Joseph to try his luck in cricket by forgoing the security guard job. Joseph immediately made a great impression, recording debut figures of 6/13 in Division 1 cricket. He also attended a fast bowling clinic in Berbice run by Curtly Ambrose. He also stamped his authority further when he took eight wickets in a trial game and it eventually prompted him to gain a call-up to first-class cricket. Joseph also played club cricket for the Muslim Youth Organisation (MYO) Sports Club in Georgetown. Joseph was named as one of four uncapped players by the Guyana Harpy Eagles for the 55th edition of the
Regional Four Day Competition The Regional Four Day Competition, formerly known as the Shell Shield, Red Stripe, Busta and Carib Beer Cup, is the West Indies's first-class cricket competition that's run by Cricket West Indies. In the 2013–2014 season the winner of the t ...
and never played or represented Guyana at any level prior to his call-up for the first-class cricket tournament. He made his first-class debut for Guyana against Barbados on 1 February 2023 during the
2022–23 West Indies Championship The 2022–23 West Indies Championship was the 55th edition of the Regional Four Day Competition, the domestic first-class cricket competition for the countries of the Cricket West Indies Cricket West Indies (CWI) is the governing body for ...
. He took his first career five-wicket haul in first-class cricket against
Windward Islands The Windward Islands are the southern, generally larger islands of the Lesser Antilles of the Caribbean islands or the West Indies. Located approximately between latitudes 10° and 16° N and longitudes 60° and 62° W, they extend from D ...
during the 2022–23 West Indies Championship and ended with figures of 5/41 in a spell bowling 12 overs. He was initially brought in as a net bowler by the
Guyana Amazon Warriors The Guyana Amazon Warriors is a cricket team of the Caribbean Premier League based in Providence, Georgetown, Guyana. It represents Guyana in the league and was established in 2013 for the inaugural season. The team plays home games at Provi ...
for the
2023 Caribbean Premier League The 2023 Caribbean Premier League (CPLT20) or for sponsorship reasons, Republic Bank CPL 2023 was the eleventh season of the Caribbean Premier League, the domestic Twenty20 cricket league that was played in the West Indies. The tournament was p ...
and made the 2023 squad as an injury replacement for
Keemo Paul Keemo Mandela Angus Paul (born 21 February 1998) is a Guyanese cricketer who plays for the West Indies cricket team. He made his international debut for the team in 2018. In August 2019, Cricket West Indies named him as the T20 Player of the Yea ...
. During his maiden CPL stint, he met Prasanna Agoram, the talent scout for Guyana Amazon Warriors, who encouraged Joseph to take his cricket career seriously. Joseph has ever since shown his admiration towards Prasanna Agoram and Joseph called Agoram fondly as his "father and mother". It was Agoram who convinced then Guyana Amazon Warriors captain
Imran Tahir Mohammad Imran Tahir (; born 27 March 1979) is a South African former international cricketer. A spin bowler who predominantly bowls googlies and a right-handed batsman, Tahir played for South Africa in all three formats of cricket. On 15 Ju ...
to include Joseph in the Guyana Amazon Warriors squad for the 2023 CPL season. Joseph made his T20 debut in a league stage match against
Barbados Royals The Barbados Royals (previously known as the Barbados Tridents) are the representative franchise cricket team of Barbados in the Caribbean Premier League. They are one of the six teams specifically created in 2013 for the 2013 Caribbean Premi ...
on 17 September 2023. Joseph was also one of the key members of the Guyana Amazon Warriors side, which emerged as 2023 champions in the Caribbean Premier League (CPL). Although he only played 2 matches in his 2023 maiden CPL Guyana Amazon Warriors stint, Joseph was remarkable in his ability to deliver short-pitched deliveries at speeds exceeding 140 kph consistently. Joseph made his List A debut playing for Guyana against Barbados on 29 October 2023 during the
2023–24 Super50 Cup The 2023–24 Super50 Cup was the 49th edition of the Super50 Cup, the domestic limited-overs cricket competition for the countries of the Cricket West Indies (CWI). The tournament was played from 17 October to 11 November 2023 in Trinidad and ...
. He was included in Guyana's squad as an 11th hour injury replacement for
Ronsford Beaton Ronsford Rodwick Beaton (born 17 September 1992) is a Guyanese cricketer who plays for the Guyanese national side in West Indian domestic cricket, and also for the Trinbago Knight Riders franchise in the Caribbean Premier League (CPL). He is a ...
for the 2023-24 CG Insurance Super50 Cup. 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. He was impressive during the first-class series against the South African A side where he was the joint wicket-taker for the West Indies A side alongside Kevin Sinclair with 12 scalps. In January 2024, Joseph was picked by
Peshawar Zalmi Peshawar Zalmi (; ; literally meaning "Peshawar's youth") is a Pakistani franchise Twenty20 cricket team which plays in the Pakistan Super League and represents Peshawar, the capital city of the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province. The team is owned b ...
during the 2024 Pakistan Super League players draft as a partial replacement for
Gus Atkinson Angus Alexander Patrick Atkinson (born 19 January 1998) is an English professional cricketer who plays for Surrey and England. He is a right-arm fast bowler and batsman. Early life and education Atkinson was educated at Northcote Lodge, a pre ...
. In February 2024, he was picked by
Lucknow Super Giants The Lucknow Super Giants, also known as LSG, are a professional Twenty20 cricket team based in Lucknow, Uttar Pradesh, that competes in the Indian Premier League (IPL). The franchise is owned by Sanjiv Goenka of the RPSG Group. Ekana Cricket ...
for INR 3 crores as a replacement for Mark Wood ahead of the
2024 Indian Premier League The 2024 Indian Premier League (also known as IPL 17 and branded as TATA IPL 2024) was the 17th edition of the Indian Premier League. The tournament featured ten teams competing in 74 matches from 22 March to 26 May 2024. It was held across 13 ...
. Shamar Joseph made his IPL debut against
Kolkata Knight Riders The Kolkata Knight Riders, also known as KKR, are a professional Twenty20 cricket team based in Kolkata, West Bengal, that competes in the Indian Premier League (IPL). The franchise is owned by actor Shah Rukh Khan, actress Juhi Chawla, and ...
at the
Eden Gardens Eden Gardens is an international cricket stadium in Kolkata (Calcutta), India. Established in 1864, it is the oldest and second-largest cricket stadium in India and third-largest in the world. The stadium currently has a capacity of 68,000. ...
in Kolkata and further went on to bowl one of the longest over (10 balls) in IPL history and he went onto concede 22 runs in his opening over.


International career

In December 2023, Joseph was named as one of the seven uncapped players in the West Indies test squad for the tour of Australia as part of the
2023–2025 ICC World Test Championship The 2023–2025 ICC World Test Championship was the third edition of the ICC World Test Championship. It started in June 2023 with the Ashes, which was contested between England and Australia, and finished in June 2025 with the final played betw ...
. He made his test debut at the Adelaide Oval on 17 January 2024 in the first test of the two-match series against Australia. The first two spells he bowled at the
Karen Rolton Oval Karen Rolton Oval is a cricket ground in Adelaide, South Australia, named after the Australian former cricketer Karen Rolton. It is located near the corner of West Terrace and Port Road, opposite the new Royal Adelaide Hospital, in the east ...
against the
Cricket Australia XI Cricket Australia XI is a domestic cricket team that plays matches against international teams touring Australia. Cricket Australia XI played in Australia's limited-overs tournament from 2015–16 to 2017–18. Before each tournament, a 14-ma ...
side earned him a place in the first test match of the series against Australia as his bowling spells impressed the West Indies selectors. He came in at number 11 on his test debut during the first innings of the West Indies and scored 36 runs off 41 deliveries. He also put on a last wicket partnership of 55 runs with
Kemar Roach Kemar Andre Jamal Roach (born 30 June 1988) is a Barbadian people, Barbadian international cricketer who plays for the West Indies cricket team, West Indies in Test cricket, Test and One Day Internationals. As a pacer, Roach initially reached s ...
to support the West Indies to a total of 188. He registered the highest individual score by a West Indian number 11 batsman on test debut. Joseph also took a wicket off the first delivery he bowled in his test career when he dismissed Australian opener Steve Smith for 12 runs. He also became only the second West Indies bowler to have taken a wicket off the first delivery bowled in test cricket after Tyrell Johnson when he drew Smith to edge it to
Justin Greaves Justin Pierre Greaves (born 26 February 1994) is a Barbadian cricketer who has played for both Barbados and the Combined Campuses and Colleges in West Indian domestic cricket. He made his international debut for the West Indies cricket team in ...
. He also dismissed Marnus Labuschagne. On 18 January 2024, he took his first five-wicket haul in test cricket by doing so on his test debut and became the tenth cricketer from the West Indies to take a five-wicket haul on test debut. He also became the second bowler in test cricket history after Nathan Lyon to complete the double of having taken a wicket off the first ball in test career and for having taken five wickets on test debut in maiden innings. He also became the first West Indies player to achieve the unique distinction of having scored over 50 runs and to have taken a five-wicket haul on his test debut. Although, West Indies lost the first match by ten wickets, Joseph became a fan favorite for his performances. On 28 January 2024, he picked up eight wickets in his second test match against Australia, and his second-innings spell of 7/68 in 11.5 overs helped the West Indies clinch a thrilling test win by a margin of eight runs. He spearheaded the bowling performance for the West Indies, registering their first test win in Australia for 27 years. He had earlier injured his toe while batting, when hit by a delivery off the bowling of
Mitchell Starc Mitchell Aaron Starc (born 30 January 1990) is an Australian international cricketer who plays for the Australian national team and New South Wales in domestic cricket. A left-arm fast bowler and a lower order left-handed batsman, he is Austr ...
during the second innings of West Indies side. Joseph took the final wicket of the match by dismissing Hazlewood to complete a historic test victory and it sparked some joy to commentators including the likes of Ian Bishop who was quoted saying "A real dream come true for 'Joseph the Deliverer', for the West Indies." Joseph also received player of the series award for his bowling performances throughout the series as he picked up 13 wickets. He became the first West Indies player to receive player of the series award in his debut test series and eleventh overall to achieve such feat. In February 2024, Cricket West Indies officially confirmed an international retainer contract to Shamar Joseph following his performances against Australia in the test series. He was awarded the ICC Men's Player of the Month award for the month of January 2024. He also became the first ever West Indies player to win the ICC Men's Player of the Month award. In May 2024, he was included in the West Indies' squad for the
2024 ICC Men's T20 World Cup The 2024 ICC Men's T20 World Cup was the ninth edition of the ICC Men's T20 World Cup, co-hosted by Cricket West Indies and USA Cricket from 1 to 29 June 2024. It was the first major ICC tournament to include matches played in the United ...
as an uncapped player.


See also

* List of West Indies cricketers who have taken five-wicket hauls on Test debut


References


External links

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Joseph, Shamar 1999 births Living people Guyanese cricketers Guyana Amazon Warriors cricketers West Indies Test cricketers West Indies One Day International cricketers West Indies Twenty20 International cricketers Cricketers who have taken five wickets on Test debut Lucknow Super Giants cricketers