West Indies' fast bowler Shamar Joseph is set to join Lucknow Super Giants, replacing England's Mark Wood, in a deal worth INR 3 crore, as confirmed by an IPL statement on Saturday. The move comes after the England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB) withdrew Wood, a centrally contracted player, from IPL 2024 to manage his workload ahead of the T20 World Cup scheduled for June. With England also hosting Test series against West Indies and Sri Lanka in the upcoming home summer, the ECB has been cautious about player workloads.
This decision follows a similar move by the ECB, which prevented Jofra Archer from participating in the IPL 2024 auction to facilitate his comeback from injury, aligning with preparations for the T20 World Cup.
Lucknow Super Giants had initially acquired Mark Wood in the auction before the 2022 season for a hefty sum of INR 7.50 crore. Unfortunately, Wood missed that season due to an elbow injury. In IPL 2023, he played four matches, taking 11 wickets at an impressive average of 11.82.
Shamar Joseph, who made his debut for the West Indies in the drawn series against Australia, has quickly gained prominence. His memorable moment came when he dismissed Steven Smith with his first ball in Test cricket, contributing to West Indies' historic eight-run win at the Gabba in the second Test. This victory marked West Indies' first Test win in Australia since 1997. Joseph's impressive performance earned him a deal with Peshawar Zalmi in the Pakistan Super League (PSL), starting on February 17, following a toe injury that ruled him out of the ongoing ILT20 season.
While Joseph has limited T20 experience, having played only two professional games without a wicket to his name, West Indies' white-ball coach Daren Sammy has hinted at the possibility of Joseph making the T20 World Cup squad. Sammy expressed that Joseph has "created a good headache" for the selectors.
Lucknow Super Giants, aside from Joseph, boasts a formidable fast-bowling lineup featuring Naveen-ul-Haq, Mohsin Khan, David Willey, Shivam Mavi, Yash Thakur, and Yudhvir Singh. Additionally, their all-rounders Marcus Stoinis, Kyle Mayers, and India's Under-19 World Cupper Arshin Kulkarni provide flexibility with the ball. Despite being a relatively young franchise in the IPL, Super Giants have proven to be one of the top-performing teams, reaching the playoffs and finishing third in both the 2022 and 2023 seasons. The addition of Shamar Joseph adds depth and talent to their already impressive squad as they aim for continued success in the upcoming IPL season.
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