WORCESTER, England, CMC – Alzarri Joseph has been named in the Worcestershire 12-man squad for the Derbyshire show starting today, and head coach Alex Gidman thinks West Indies manager could be an asset for the club throughout the County Championship campaign.
The 24-year-old arrived immediately after the conclusion of the two-Test series against Sri Lanka in his native Antigua earlier this month, and spent the requisite period in quarantine before hitting the nets with the rest of the squad of ‘ the end.
Joseph will be available in the West Midlands uniform for the next seven games, during which time Gidman is confident they can benefit from the player’s qualities.
“We are excited that Alzarri has joined us. He is a very exciting young cricketer, and it is great for us, our group and our supporters that he will play for us, ”said Gidman.
“I’m looking forward to having it as part of the induction and the skill set it will bring. Having him at the start of the season is nearing completion and this piece of cricket ahead of him is going to be great. ”
Joseph has already played 16 Tests and 34 One-Day Internationals but his time with Worcestershire will be his first taste of English county cricket.
A right-hander whose batting has also bloomed in the longest format recently, Joseph has already been considered a future star and Gidman said the partnership with the county could also be instrumental in the development of the Antiguan.
“Overseas players have been tough to come by this year, so having someone of Alzarri’s quality is going to be good for him and us,” Gidman noted.
“We hope it will work for us, but part of the overseas deal for players is that it is also a positive experience for them and their own cricket journey.
“Hopefully, we can play a part in that too.”
The County Championship, which ended last week, is being played at the center of the ongoing COVID-19 global pandemic that has already severely disrupted sport in general.
As a result, the championship will face a busy schedule, further highlighting the importance of Joseph’s place in the Worcestershire squad.
“It’s going to be a tough two months with back-to-back cricket throughout and no rest weeks, so hopefully, the Alzarri addition allows us to really rest a bowler every week,” said Gidman.
“That will be the hope and try to avoid injury.”
Worcestershire pulled away their opening game for Essex last week.