Guyanese fast bowler Shamar Joseph received the prestigious Cricket West Indies (CWI) & West Indies Players’ Association (WIPA) Test Cricketer of the Year 2023–24 at the eighth CWI/WIPA awards ceremony held on Sunday evening at the prestigious Wyndham Grand in Barbados.
He seized the accolade ahead of Kraigg Brathwaite, Kavem Hodge, Alzarri Joseph and Jayden Seales. Joseph’s meteoric rise began with his Test debut on January 17, 2024 at the Adelaide Oval, where he dismissed Steven Smith with his first ball and concluded with figures of 5 for 94, becoming just the tenth West Indian to claim a five‑wicket haul on debut.
To date, he has played 8 Tests, claiming 29 wickets at an average of 26.75, including three five‑fers. His most remarkable spell came at the Gabba, where his 7 for 68 on the fourth day sealed the West Indies’ first Test victory in Australia since 1997—later rated the “No 1 men’s Test spell of 2024” by Wisden .
Joseph maintains a strike rate of 38.6 and an economy rate of 4.15. With the bat, he’s contributed 186 runs at 14.30, including a top score of 36—the highest score by a West Indies No. 11 on debut.
The awards night coincided with the 50th anniversary of the West Indies’ iconic triumph in the inaugural ICC Men’s Cricket World Cup in 1975 – an achievement CWI noted the ceremony paid tribute to while recognising “today’s standout players.”
