Windies will thrive under pressure: Holder

GEORGETOWN, Guyana, CMC – Captain Jason Holder says West Indies are relishing the added pressure of today’s third and final One-Day International against Pakistan.

Pointing out that the Caribbean side usually performed better when their backs were against the wall, Holder said the players were upbeat and needed no extra motivation for the contest at the Guyana National Stadium.

“It’s all to play for and it’s probably ironic that the series is set up this way because we tend to get the best out of ourselves when there is this added pressure on,” the all-rounder told media here.

Jason Holder

“Hopefully we can come on Tuesday and bat a little bit better and repeat the effort we had in the first game.”

West Indies produced an awe-inspiring effort last Friday to chase down their highest-ever ODI target and beat the tourists by four wickets, and take a 1-0 lead in the series.

However, they failed to reach those heights again in Sunday’s second game, bowled out for 208 in pursuit of 283, as they tumbled to a disappointing 74-run loss.

Victory on Tuesday will not only help the ninth placed Windies close the gap on Pakistan who are ranked eighth, but it will give them their first series victory over the Asian side in nearly three decades.

Holder said there was enough importance surrounding the game to naturally get the players focussed.

“Obviously we need to get the guys geed up [but] I don’t think we need geeing up for this last game as the series is 1-1 and it is important that we go out in that manner to win the game and be positive,” Holder stressed.

“It’s a chance to win a series; we haven’t won a series in quite some time and I am very, very confident going into this last game that we can make things right and put up a good show on Tuesday.”

He added: “It is important that we finish the series well. I said at the beginning of the series we need to play each game like it’s a World Cup final. I told the guys that in the dressing room.

“We came out and started the series as well [but] we didn’t come up to scratch [on Sunday] with the bat but we’re still very positive going into Tuesday.”

West Indies have not beaten a higher-ranked team in an ODI series in five years.