Mapping the meteoric rise of security guard turned pace sensation Shamar Joseph

It wasn't very long ago when Aamer Jamal, a former cab driver in Australia, tormented one of the all-time great Test teams in their backyard in his debut series. Just days after that, another debutant rocked Australia in Australia whose story will inspire many all over the cricketing world.

Shamar Joseph was one of seven uncapped players in the West Indies squad for the Australia Tests. He came into the series with a prior experience of just five first-class appearances but his exploits in the warm-up match against Australia PM XI made him a player to watch out for. 

And he lived up to the expectations by picking up a five-for on debut and another one in the next match with an injured toe. Such a performance on Australian soil by a visiting bowler is an achievement in itself but how he reached this level from a remote corner of the Caribbean Islands is a story one can barely believe. 

Joseph was born and brought up in Baracara, a village inaccessible by road. One has to make a two-day boat trip to reach his village which has a total population of around 350. Cricket was never a popular thing there since there was hardly any television set and the village received internet connection as late as in 2018.

A right-arm fast bowler, Joseph started idolising Caribbean greats Courtney Walsh and Curtly Ambrose after watching highlights of their bowling. To support his family that included his infant son, Joseph worked as a security guard in New Amsterdam and was involved in a logging business. 

He used to imagine fruits as cricket balls and imitate the bowlers he watched in tape-ball cricket. 

The first Test cricketer from his village, he played some second and first division games for Tucber Park Cricket Club. His Tucber teammate and West Indies all-rounder Romario Shepherd, who also happens to be his neighbour, introduced him to Guyana head coach Esuan Crandon. He attended a fast bowling clinic run by Ambrose and managed to impress the great man.

Joseph made his first-class debut for Guyana in February last year after his strong showing in first division cricket. Before that, he never played for Guyana at any level of cricket. The talent was never in question and it prompted the concerned people to fast-track him.

Before that, he left his job in New Amsterdam to pursue a full-time cricketing career after receiving support from his wife. 

But probably his meeting with Prasanna Agoram, the former South Africa cricket team analyst, during the Caribbean Premier League last year was the watershed moment of his short career. Agoram was working as Guyana Amazon Warrior's analyst in the CPL and Joseph was a net bowler. 

Agoram, whom now Joseph fondly calls his "father and mother", saw him send down two deliveries in the Guyana net and immediately requested Warriors captain Imran Tahir to include him in the squad. Joseph, in no time, made his T20 debut in the CPL and his pace impressed one and all. 

Agoram shared a clip of Joseph's bowling on X, formerly Twitter, and predicted that the latter would play for the West Indies soon. It was probably the first time the world heard of him. 

The exposure was important and a couple of months later, he was his team's highest wicket-taker (12 wickets at 21.25) in the West Indies A's tour of South Africa. 

Former West Indies fast bowler and now commentator Ian Bishop presented him his Test cap and even before his turn with the ball arrived, Joseph made an impact with the bat, becoming the highest scorer at number 11 on debut for the West Indies (36). He, most notably, smashed Australia quick Josh Hazlewood for a maximum.

And his first ball in international cricket was nothing short of a fairytale. He got Test great Steve Smith out first ball and on the same day got Marnus Labuschagne out. The 24-year-old was just the second West Indies bowler to take a wicket in the first ball of his Test career.

On the second day of the Adelaide Test, Joseph (5/94) added three more to his tally although being a little bit expensive. He became just the fourth bowler to take a wicket off his first ball and a five-for on Test debut. 

And in the ongoing D/N Test at the Gabba, he bowled one of the most sensational spells in recent memory to snare six wickets and words cannot do justice to what he did in the first session. 

Smith now stands in the way. Will Joseph be able to get him out just like in the first Test? But whatever happens, Joseph will be remembered by Australia and cricket fans in general. 

The paceman wants to do something for Baracara, a place far removed from modern facilities, but what he has already done is that he has inspired young kinds at his birthplace to pick up the bat and ball and play the game. Ian Bishop rightly said, "Test cricket and cricket in general needs these stories".