ICC T20 WORLD CUP 2022

October 19, 2022

Alzarri Joseph

Bellerive Oval

West Indies

Post Match Media Conference

West Indies - 153/7, Zimbabwe - 122

THE MODERATOR: We've got Alzarri Joseph from the West Indies.

Q. There was a point during the start of the Zimbabwe innings where they look like they're just taking the game away, and you come into the attack and things turn it on. Can you take us through that spell of yours initially.

ALZARRI JOSEPH: For me after the start, we all know T20 cricket in the power play the batsman has the upper hand because only two fielders out.

I was just thinking of coming in and making impact for the team and do something really special and win the game for the team.

Q. When you speak about doing something special, we've seen you show off your skills in the last few years with red ball, white ball, everything. But just the yorkers that you bowled today, is that something that you really worked on a lot in recent times to kind of master it the way you have?

ALZARRI JOSEPH: I wouldn't say I've mastered it, but it's something I really put a lot of work in because I think, if you can bowl that yorker in different stages of the game, that brings a surprise element to any team.

Q. And there just was a lot of emotion from you and Jason as well once those wickets started falling, especially after the defeat the other day. Was there a sense of just a lot of frustration -- everything is just being vented out there just for you guys after the position you were in?

ALZARRI JOSEPH: I wouldn't use the word frustration, but after the last game, everyone got together and we decided that we really had to put in a big performance today because it's essentially a final.

So we knew we had two finals to play in order to get through to the next round.

Q. And finally from me, about your yorkers again, because you can in these conditions use the length ball well and just get the ball to do a little, does that make your yorker even more effective?

ALZARRI JOSEPH: Yes, I would think so because the wickets are offering a bit of bounce as well. So if you can get a batsman on the bat and surprise them with a yorker, that's a really good weapon to have.

Q. I just wanted you to talk about your recent performances in January. You just seem to enter a perfect patch, had a decent CPL, had a good time here. Is there something you've changed about your game or around the way you've bowled that's enabled that?

ALZARRI JOSEPH: No, it was just trusting the process. Going through different phases in your career, you know, for me, it's just about trusting the process and keep doing the right things.

Q. And also about the overall group situation, did you at any point factor in maybe what you need to do in terms of net run rate with whether an issue may be on Friday, or are you just focused on winning these two games?

ALZARRI JOSEPH: No, we're just focused on getting the win because, if we didn't get the win, then net run rate didn't matter. For us it's all about getting wins and getting the two points.

Q. Zimbabwe seem to have a lot of success when they bowl with their spin bowlers whereas you guys were a lot more lethal with the quicks. Is that down to the bowling attack you have and the way you ball, or was there something in the pitch that changed after the first innings?

ALZARRI JOSEPH: I don't think it's the pitch. It's just down to the bowling attacks. As you can see, it's two different bowling attacks. I think they play three spinners, and we only play the one spinner. More often than not, we're going to be more successful as seamers.

Q. Just tonight, Jason Holder took his 50th T20 career wicket. That could be sort of knocking on the door of 350 international wickets all across all formats and 5,000 runs across all formats. Does it dawn on you and within the squad house how special of a player he is and how needed he is in this lineup?

ALZARRI JOSEPH: We all know how special Jason is because he's like a father figure to most of the players because it's a young group. We all look up to him and respect what he's done so far in the game.

Q. On the spot tonight, sort of a pitch here today that had a lot in it for the quicks. Do you feel that all sort of played out?

ALZARRI JOSEPH: To be honest, I think the wicket is a good cricket wicket. There's something in it for each and every bowler. There's something in it for the batters if they play good cricket shots. All in all it's just a good cricket wicket.

Q. A lot's been made of the fact that Friday is going to be do or die for every team playing, a little bit of rain around. What sort of does that do for the focus of the team?

ALZARRI JOSEPH: It doesn't change our focus. Our focus is on doing what we have to do correctly and winning the game.

Q. Just about the bowling attack, like even Phil Simmons said the other day, you guys have been performing really well as a unit. Are you in a space where, if you have to defend any total, you kind of back yourselves in these conditions especially?

ALZARRI JOSEPH: Once runs is on the board, there's always added pressure to the team chasing. Once you get a good start with the ball, it's always going to be a 50/50 game.

Q. Just wanted to follow up on what you said earlier, what were the motivations before the match to get two wins in the next two games? What are the discussions you had regarding that?

ALZARRI JOSEPH: I didn't quite get that.

Q. In the dressing room before the start of the game and the discussions that you had earlier today before the match?

ALZARRI JOSEPH: Well, like I said earlier, we all know that we essentially had two finals to play. So the morning dressing room was just trying to stay calm and be confident in our abilities.

Q. Good morning. I'm not sure if this question was asked before, but I just want to get a sense from you in terms of how important was the victory today? And what does this do to build the confidence of the West Indies team ahead of Friday's encounter?

ALZARRI JOSEPH: This one was very important essentially because, if we lost today, then we knew we were out. So it was a very important win.

It gives us confidence and momentum going into the next game we have.

Q. I'm just wondering, how did it feel to the dressing room when you heard the coach say the batting effort in the last match was not professional? Especially given how professional you conducted yourselves as bowlers and you and Jason Holder in particular. Was it a word that almost hurt your feelings a bit?

ALZARRI JOSEPH: Not really because as professional players we also have to be able to answer to ourselves, and we know we weren't really pulling our weight with the bat.

I think it didn't really take that comment to get us to pull up our socks because we knew what we had to do even before that comment.

Q. Alzarri, just wanted to ask you about how in the past West Indies always found these superstars to win the World Cups for them in the two times we won it. The team with their first win, how do you look at this team and their chances going forward in the next round?

ALZARRI JOSEPH: I have full confidence in the team. Everyone is a match winner in their own right. Everyone's a special player. So we all have confidence in the team that's played, and whatever 11 that goes up in the park, we all back them 100 percent.

Q. Would you say that the level of performance today, especially the batting, do you think that would be good enough to get past Ireland on Friday?

ALZARRI JOSEPH: To be honest, this game is already gone. So for me and for the team, it's just about going back, getting our plans right, and knowing what we have to do. We're not going to go on about today because today is already gone. We can't really bring back today. So our focus is on our next game.