West Indies bowler Joseph suspended after storming off field

BRIDGETOWN, Barbados: West Indies fast bowler Alzarri Joseph was hit with a two-match suspension on Thursday after storming off the field during the series-clinching ODI win over England.

Cricket West Indies (CWI) said Joseph had been sanctioned for “conduct falling short of CWI´s standards of professionalism.” Joseph marched off the pitch during Wednesday´s game at Kensington Oval in Barbados shortly after taking the wicket of Jordan Cox in the fourth over, in an apparent protest at the field set by West Indies skipper Shai Hope.

That left West Indies briefly down to 10 players before Joseph then returned for the sixth over. “Alzarri´s behavior did not align with the core values that Cricket West Indies upholds,” CWI director of cricket Miles Bascombe said in a statement.

“Such conduct cannot be overlooked and we have taken decisive action to ensure the gravity of the situation is fully acknowledged.” Joseph apologized in the same statement, saying that “my passion got the best of me.” “I have personally apologized to captain Shai Hope and my teammates and management,” Joseph, 27, said.