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By Samuel Peters
West Indies fast bowler Alzarri Joseph has revealed details of his ongoing recovery from a stress fracture, while sharing candid insights into his aspirations to represent Antigua and Barbuda at the 2028 Los Angeles Olympics.
The 29-year-old Leeward Islands pace ace who celebrated his birthday on Thursday, disclosed that a mis=diagnosis initially complicated his injury situation, delaying proper treatment for what turned out to be a significant stress fracture in his L4 vertebra.
“When I did the second scan in India, it came as a bit of a surprise to me because I did a scan during the last Test we played against Australia at Gabba, and the report I got was that the scan was clear. There were no issues, no injury,” Joseph explained.
Despite the clear scan, Joseph continued to experience pain and discomfort. He was given a break after the Australia series and missed the Pakistan T20s and ODIs as medical staff tried to determine whether his body was simply fatigued or if there was an underlying issue.
“I did a fitness test just before the CPL and my body was good. There was no pain. But then we went to India and the physio wanted to do a follow-up scan to rule out anything before training,” he said.
The results were revealing. “When we did the MRI and CT in India on the first day of training, the scan picked up a two- to three-month-old stress fracture in L4. There probably was a misdiagnosis somewhere in the last scan that I did in Jamaica that did not pick that up.”
Joseph is now focused on a careful, measured approach to his rehabilitation, with no specific timeline for his return to competitive cricket.
“I’m just going to give my body time to get back to a hundred percent. I am not going to put myself in a situation to re-aggravate the injury and have to be out longer or make it worse,” he stated firmly. “So I’m going to take the conservative route in terms of healing. I’m going through a process of rehabilitation right now, and I’m just going to take it slow.”
Joseph acknowledged that while there may be some analysis and potential refinements to his bowling action to reduce stress on his back, he doesn’t anticipate major changes. “I don’t think it will be a major change,” he said, noting that the injury is more likely related to workload management than technical flaws.
Mentally and physically, Joseph says he’s in a good place. “I’m enjoying my time home with my loved ones. Obviously, I’d love to get back to playing, but I’d rather take this time to get my body back so I’m there for a longer period rather than go back into playing and then having to pull out because of some other complication.”
Looking ahead to cricket’s return to the Olympic Games in 2028 – the first time in over a century – Joseph expressed enthusiasm about the prospect of representing his country on sport’s biggest stage.
“I think the Olympics is actually a really prestigious event. I think any athlete would want to be a part of the Olympics,” Joseph said. “I’m not entirely sure how they’re going to go about selecting teams and qualifications and all that for the Olympics, but sure, I’d love to be a part of it.”
The Olympics represent a unique opportunity for cricketers to compete in a global sporting spectacle that goes beyond the traditional cricket calendar, and Joseph is clearly motivated by the prospect.
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