Who is Shamar Joseph, pacer who helped West Indies clinch historic win over Australia in Gabba Test?

West Indies clinched a historic victory over Australia in the second Test of the three-match series at Brisbane’s Gabba in what turned out to be a nail-biting contest. Having been set a target of 216 on Day three of the Test match, Australia resumed their innings on Day four with an overnight score of 60/2.

It's all over!!!

Shamar Joseph takes SEVEN #AUSvWI pic.twitter.com/fsGR6cjvkj

— cricket.com.au (@cricketcomau) January 28, 2024

However, the star of the day turned out to be pacer Shamar Joseph, who had only made his Test debut in the first Test against Australia in Adelaide. In the second innings of second Test in Gabba, Shamar Joseph would go on to end with figures of 7/68 from 11.5 overs as West Indies bowled out Australia for 207.

No celebration required!

Alzarri Joseph gets Nathan Lyon in the first over after dinner #AUSvWI pic.twitter.com/6RnaQSMoyb

— cricket.com.au (@cricketcomau) January 28, 2024

Shamar Joseph's remarkable spell to claim 7 wickets highlights the sheer grit and drama of Test cricket. This is the format that truly challenges and showcases a player's mettle. A key architect in scripting a historic victory for the West Indies in Australia after 27 years.… pic.twitter.com/RUP7UmOW6W

— Sachin Tendulkar (@sachin_rt) January 28, 2024

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So, who is Shamar Joseph? Shamar Joseph was born on 31 August, 1999 in Baracara, a small village in Guyana. Joseph was born in a family with three sisters and five brothers. Joseph grew up looking upto West Indian legends Curtly Ambrose and Courtney Walsh as idols, watching highlights of their matches and even trying to imitate them. Baracara, however, at that time had no internet connectivity and there was only one black and white television and a landline phone to communicate. Before his playing days, Joseph worked with his father and siblings in logging industry, helping his family chop logs in Baracara and carry them to New Amsterdam down the Canje River. However, after Joseph was almost hit by a tree that was falling down, he decided to shift from Baracara and move to New Amsterdam and find a job there to support his family.

What a remarkable moment for Shamar Joseph and West Indies cricket. The most remarkable test win that I can put my mind on, given the context

— Ian Raphael Bishop (@irbishi) January 28, 2024

Joseph worked as a labourer first in New Amsterdam before working as a security guard, working in long 12-hour shifts through day and night. Joseph then quit his job after he got the support of his fiancée, enabling him to fulfil his cricketing dream. As fate would have it, Joseph was introduced him to Guyana cricket team head coach Esuan Crandon by his neighbour Romario Shepherd. Joseph even got the opportunity to attend a fast bowling clinic that was run by Curtly Ambrose. Joseph would make his first-class debut for Guyana in a West Indies Championship match in February 2023. In that 2022-23 season, Joseph registered his maiden five-wicket haul, a 5/42 against Windward Islands. In the 2023 season of the Caribbean Premier League, Joseph was called in as a replacement for the injured Keemo Paul in the Guyana Amazon Warriors team. On 17 September last year, Joseph made his CPL against Barbados Royals. He played just two matches that season, but was impactful for his team with the delivering short balls in excess of speeds of 140 kph. Joseph made his List A debut against Barbados in October last year. He ended the match wicketless. But it wasn’t long until Joseph would be called up in the West Indies A squad for a tour of South Africa. In the three-match First-Class series against South Africa A in November 2023, Joseph finished as the joint-highest wicket taker with 12 scalps, with Kevin Sinclair being the other. Joseph made his Test debut for West Indies in the Adelaide Test against Australia on 17 January. He would go on to get a wicket off his very first ball in Test cricket, dismissing Steve Smith who was caught by Justin Greaves at first slip. And on 18 January, Joseph became the tenth West Indies cricketer to take a five-fer on Test debut, registering figures of 5/94 in the first innings against Australia.

Are you not entertained.

— Daren Sammy (@darensammy88) January 28, 2024

The second Test at the Gabba however wasn’t easy for Joseph. He was injured on Day three of the Test on Saturday after being hit by a Mitchell Starc yorker. He eventually retired hurt and required scans. However, Joseph would come back strongly on Sunday, to help West Indies clinch their first Test win in Australia since 1997.