The injury problems plaguing West Indies fast bowlers reached crisis stage yesterday. Two of the team’s young talents – Shamar Joseph and Jediah Blades were withdrawn from the ongoing tour of Bangladesh and will now undergo rehabilitation. In their absence, experienced left-arm spinner Akeal Hosein and Ramon Simmonds, the highly touted left-arm quick bowler, have been named as replacements.
The 24-year-old Simmonds made his debut for the senior side in the recently concluded T20 International series against Nepal, where he had an impressive four-wicket haul in his second match.
Joseph and Blades join a growing list of bowlers on the injury list which also includes Alzarri Joseph and Matthew Forde. Alzarri Joseph was named to play in India but withdrew shortly ahead of the first Test while Forde has been out of action since early August when he suffered a shoulder dislocation while attempting a catch during a training session ahead of the ODI series against Pakistan in Trinidad.
Simmonds and Hosein were scheduled to arrive in Bangladesh yesterday afternoon and it was not certain if they would be available for selection for the second One-Day International today (at 3:30 a.m. Barbados Time). West Indies face a must-win situation to keep the three-match series, following their heavy defeat by 74 runs in the opening encounter last Saturday.
Shamar Joseph has again failed to recover from the damaged shoulder he sustained during this year’s edition of the Caribbean Premier League (CPL). Following the end of the regional tournament he could not take his place in the West Indies team for the two Test matches in India earlier this month. He was recalled for this ongoing One-Day International series in Dhaka but yesterday he was again withdrawn.
In a media statement issued yesterday morning Cricket West Indies (CWI) stated that he reported some discomfort in his shoulder during the first training session ahead of the opening ODI against Bangladesh last Saturday at the Sher e Bangla National Stadium in Dhaka. CWI added that “following a subsequent scan he has been recommended for consultation with a specialist in England to start the rehabilitation process”.
CWI issued its statement after the information was originally published by media outlets in Bangladesh, who cited information from cricket officials on the ground.
Shamar Joseph’s latest setback presents a major headache for the West Indies selection panel as he is the team’s most lethal bowler. He was hugely impressive in the three-match Frank Worrell trophy series against Australia earlier this year – where he took 22 wickets at an average of 14 apiece. With this brilliant form he was expected to be the spearhead of the attack in the three Test matches in New Zealand in December.
Blades, a rookie last-arm pacer from Barbados has a handful of international matches under his belt. He is yet to distinguish himself with one wicket in three ODIs and six scalps in six T20 Internationals. He suffered this horrific stress fracture of the back and has been ruled out for the foreseeable future.
The 23-year-old, who is yet to play for Barbados at the regional level, was earmarked to represent the country in the upcoming professional franchise competitions but will now have to undergo extensive rehabilitation. There was no immediate word on whether he will have surgery to fix the injury. CWI noted that he has been ruled out of the upcoming matches and the following tour of New Zealand with a “stress fracture to the lower back and will return home to undergo rehabilitation”.
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