LONDON – Former Test captain Jason Holder has praised the “special talent” in the West Indies squad and says their exploits in the Test win over Australia in Brisbane last January gave him a “renewed energy” for the three-match series against England starting on Wednesday (July 10).
The 32-year-old, who led the Caribbean side in 37 of his 64 Tests and was at the helm on the last tour here at the height of the COVID-19 pandemic four years ago, has not played a match in the longest format in 12 months.
After declining a central contract last year, he opted out of the tour of Australia, with Cricket West Indies announcing he had “expressed a preference to explore T20 Franchise opportunities.”
“It is what it is. You see a couple Kiwi players just turn down central contracts, a couple South African players turn down central contracts so it is where the game is moving,” Holder told reporters.
“I guess it’s not my job to find solutions; each and every person has their personal decision to make.
“I was just so happy for the boys when they did what they did in Australia. For me, it gave me a renewed energy just to come back to the group and try to be part of something special again.
“I was really happy to play a few first class games in the Caribbean this year – I haven’t played probably for the last four years. And it was good to play a couple first class games and then come over here in the English summer.
“All in all, I’m just happy I’ve been able to get the body up and being up for the challenge here. [I’ve] missed Test cricket. This is my first Test match for a long time so I’m looking forward to it.”
Holder is one of the more experienced players in an otherwise young squad featuring the likes of uncapped opener Mikyle Louis, along with batsmen Alick Athanaze, Kirk McKenzie and Kavem Hodge, and bowlers Kevin Sinclair, Gudakesh Motie and Shamar Joseph – none of whom have played five Tests.
However, all of them contributed on the tour of Australia as West Indies managed to draw the two-Test series, after pulling off a sensational eight-run win in the final game in Brisbane – their first success on Australian soil in nearly three decades.
“I think the guys took a lot from that Test victory in Australia obviously and for the group, we’ve been doing some positive things over the last couple months, and I think as a young side the main thing is to keep learning,” he said.
“It’s something that I stress on inside the group, each and every individual taking what they can take from each experience and just building on it.
“We will be faced with different challenges here in England, it’s just a matter for each individual to understand them, learn from them so it makes them better for the next day.
“What we have in the dressing room is some special talent. We’ve got some special talent in our dressing room – no doubt about it. It’s just a matter for us to play some solid cricket and just believe.”
West Indies currently hold the Botham-Richards Trophy following their shock 1-0 series win in the Caribbean two years ago.
And while West Indies have not won a series in England for 36 years, Holder said the imminent series presented the ideal opportunity.
“The last two times England would’ve toured the West Indies, we beat them and the last two times we toured England in the recent past they would’ve beaten us,” Holder pointed out.
“So I think it’s time for someone to break the shackles and it’s no better time than now for us to come here and beat England.
“I think that would be an absolutely great feat; nothing that I think that this team is short of.
“I believe in every individual in this group and based on what I’ve seen over the last couple days and the last couple months – playing first class cricket back at home for a few games and obviously seeing a few players here – it’s been great.
“I’ve really enjoyed being around the group again.”
CMC
