Alzarri Joseph embraces new roles as Windies Vice-Captain and enforcer

Prominent strike bowler Alzarri Joseph has affirmed his commitment to "business as usual" as he assumes the new role of West Indies vice-captain for the upcoming three One-day Internationals against England, which began on Sunday in his homeland of Antigua.

The 27-year-old fast bowler from Antigua received the elevation to the vice-captaincy position following his leadership of the Leeward Islands Hurricanes, which culminated in the team's appearance in the final of the West Indies Super50 Cup last month. The tournament was eventually won by the hosts, Trinidad & Tobago Red Force.

Regarding his new role, Joseph expressed his eagerness to contribute to the team's success, saying, "My role on the field does not necessarily change, but in terms of the vice-captaincy, I think it's something that I'll cherish for a little."

He continued, "For me, it will be about facilitating the captain as much as I can and sharing my advice and seeing how well I can work with him to make the team a lot more successful."

The upcoming series holds significance

Joseph also reflected on his experience of leading the Hurricanes, acknowledging the support he received from senior players, which made his responsibilities as the lead fast bowler more manageable. He explained, "It was good. I had a lot of guys around me that had captained before, so they helped me to play that role as efficiently as I can, but I also had my own philosophy that I wanted to bring to the team, and the guys really bought into it."

He added, "Once you are a bowler, you are your own captain when you have the ball, so for me, it was just about doing my job and asking the rest of the guys to back me up. When I was not bowling, I had to make sure that everyone else was on the right path and executing our plans."

The upcoming series between West Indies and England holds significance as both teams look to redeem themselves following disappointing performances in the recent ICC Men's ODI World Cup in India. West Indies failed to qualify for the tournament, while England struggled, winning only two out of nine matches before exiting in the preliminary stage.

Joseph anticipates a competitive series and stated, "I think it's going to be a really good series. We have been preparing very well. We are ready, and I think it will be quite entertaining."

Excitement about playing on home soil

He also expressed his excitement about playing on home soil in Antigua, emphasizing that despite the setting, his approach remains unchanged: "It's always special playing on home soil, so I am looking forward to the matches in Antigua, but nothing changes, it's business as usual. For me, it's about going out onto the field and performing my role as efficiently as possible."

Having made his debut for the West Indies against Pakistan seven years ago in Sharjah, Alzarri Joseph has amassed 104 wickets at an average of 27.69 in 63 ODIs. He was a part of the West Indies Under-19 squad that clinched the ICC Youth World Cup title under the leadership of Shimron Hetmyer and the guidance of English coach Graeme West.

Joseph maintained a humble perspective on reaching personal milestones and becoming the primary force in the bowling attack, stating, "It's always good to get to those milestones, but the job is not done yet, and there is still a long way to go, so for me, it's just about getting one percent better every day."

The first two ODIs of the series will be held on Sunday and the following Wednesday at the Vivian Richards Cricket Ground in Antigua, with the final match scheduled for the following Saturday at Kensington Oval in Barbados.