Who is Shamar Joseph: Pacer from remote village in Guyana shines on Test debut

Listen to Story From one of the most remote villages in the Caribbean islands to owning the first day of his Test debut at the iconic Adelaide Oval, 24 year old Shamar Joseph has come a long way. The right arm fast bowler picked up 2 wickets, including that of Australia's new Test opener Steve Smith in the very first delivery of his career and hit a quickfire 36 while batting at No.

11 to help the visitors post a total that gave something for their bowlers to bowl at. Shamar Joseph had not played top flight cricket until 2023, but he did not let the sense of occasion overwhelm him on his Test debut at the Adelaide Oval on January 17. Shamar Joseph was one of the three debutants for West Indies in the first of the 2 Test series against Australia.

And the Jamaican did not take time to showcase his prowess to the cricket world. West Indies were reeling at 133 for 9 when Shamar joined hands with senior pacer Kemar Roach in the middle and the two players added 55 runs for the last wicket. Shamar hit 36, including 3 boundaries and a six as took on the pace trio of Mitchell Starc, Pat Cummins, and Josh Hazlewood.

Shamar Joseph could not have asked for a batter start to his bowling career as he on Wednesday in Adelaide. Shamar did not hold back as he set out for a celebratory sprint around Adelaide Oval. He dented Australia further as he got the big wicket of Marnus Labuschagne with a sharp bouncer. FIRST BALL! Shamar Joseph gets Steve Smith with his first ball in Tests! | | — cricket.com.au (@cricketcomau) Australia ended the day at 59 for 2, still trailing West Indies's first innings total of 188 by 129 runs.

The West Indies players allowed Shamar Joseph to lead them out of the field as the young pacer lived up to expectations on his very first day as a Test cricketer. Born in the small village of Baracara, Guyana, Shamar Joseph grew up in a large family with five brothers and three sisters. His early life in Baracara, a remote area accessible only by a two day boat trip up the Canje River, was humble and devoid of modern conveniences like proper telephone or internet service until 2018.

Despite the challenges, Joseph found solace and excitement in cricket. He would often play tape ball cricket in his village. In his village, TV sets are a rarity, but Shamar did not let his love for cricket go astray as he kept watching highlight reels of legendary West Indies fast bowlers, including Curtly Ambrose and Courtney Walsh.

Before his rise in cricket, Joseph worked as a bodyguard to support his family, including his 2 year old kid. However, his love for the sport was too strong to ignore, and he made the bold decision to quit his job and pursue cricket full time. This leap of faith paid off when he began playing first class cricket for the Guyana Harpy Eagles in February 2023.

Although he only played in three games during that season, he took nine wickets, showing enough promise to earn a spot in the West Indies A squad for their tour of South Africa. Shamar Joseph also made his Caribbean Premier League debut in 2023, playing two matches for champions Guyana Amazon Warriors.

Joseph's performance in South Africa, where he was the joint leading wicket taker for the West Indians, caught the attention of selectors. His hard work culminated in a call up to the West Indies Test squad for their series against Australia..