Australian great Ian Healy was left red-faced after a brutal sledge of West Indies star Shamar Joseph backfired spectacularly on Day 1 of the first Test.
Healy took umbrage with Joseph’s message to recalled Australian opener Sam Konstas to ‘watch out’ ahead of the Test in Barbados, saying the Windies quick, who terrorised the Aussies with seven wickets in a remarkable upset at the Gabba in early 2024, has ‘picked on the 19-year old again’.
“He’s had a terrible year since he went through us at the Gabba,” Healy said on SENQ Breakfast.
“Shamar has come out today and said ’just look out and watch what is coming’. OK Shamar, well, you’ve delivered crap all year.
“He’d better improve, that’s what I’m saying in the dressing room. He’s got real trouble. You’re not Curtly Ambrose champ.”
Joseph, though, proved more than capable of walking the walk, taking 4/46 – all members of Australia’s top six – and could have had more but for some dropped catches in the slips cordon.
However, Healy defended his stance on breakfast radio on Thursday morning, claiming he was only referring to a potential response to Joseph from Australia’s camp – and even got in another cheeky jab at the 25-year old.
“Yesterday, when I talked about backing up Sam Konstas when an opponent sledges him … I sort of talked about what the dressing room might say – is that the context, do you reckon, that I was talking about?” Healy asked co-host, NRL great Corey Parker.
“Do you believe I was talking about what the dressing room might say to Konstas, or was it me saying something against Shamar Joseph?
“Geez, they’ve come out at me, haven’t they! They’ve said ‘oh no, I’ve sledged Shamar!’ Apparently, it’s saying I’ve had a personal dig at Shamar.
“He’s bowled beautifully again today, and it’s not easy with so much gold around your neck!”
Joseph’s heroics are his third four-wicket haul in just four completed innings against Australia, having taken 5/94 on Test debut in Adelaide in early 2024 before his Gabba 7/68 in the second Test of that series.
Healy played 119 Tests for Australia between 1988 and 1999, and is regarded as one of the finest wicketkeepers in Australian history.
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