BRIDGETOWN, Barbados, CMC – West Indies Test captain Jason Holder says he hopes to leave a legacy of being one of the greats in the longest format, but is cognizant of the need to sustain very high standards if he is to achieve that goal.
Already, the 28-year-old has become one of the contemporary faces of the Test format, and is currently the number one all-rounder in the International Cricket Council rankings.
And though pointing out he enjoyed all three formats, Holder said he placed considerable emphasis on Test cricket which remained the measure of all cricketers.
“Test cricket is the ultimate game for me,” Holder told TalkSport’s Cricket Collective.
“Growing up there was only Test cricket and 50-over cricket to be fair, and you always were marked and critiqued on your performance in Test cricket – you became a legend of the game through Test cricket.
“I don’t think many people would stand out as being legends of the game via the one-day route but obviously with the advent of T20 cricket, there is a debate now with white ball versus red ball cricket but still I think red ball cricket would take precedence, and I just want to be remembered for being a great Test match cricketer and not only a great Test match cricketer per se but a great cricketer.
“In order to do that, you’ve got to be consistent and more than likely every time you step on the park, you’re being scrutinised and marked. So for me it’s about keeping my standards high and making sure I’m doing everything in my power to win cricket games for whoever I’m representing.”
Holder shot to stardom last year when he struck a monumental unbeaten 202 to propel West Indies to a crushing victory over England in the opening Test at Kensington Oval last January.
In reaching triple figures for the third time in his career, he became the first West Indies number eight to score a double century in Tests and the first Windies captain since Brian Lara in 2004, to notch a double against England.
Only the previous year, fast bowler Holder had captured 33 wickets at an average of 12.39 – the best average in a calendar for nearly a century. He currently averages 32 with the bat from 40 Tests and 26 with the ball.
Though Holder averaged 49 with the bat and took 20 wickets at 17 apiece in Tests last year, he believes there was still much improvement needed.
“I think if I look at it from an holistic point of view of all three formats, I don’t think it was my best year,” he explained.
“I try to mark myself pretty hard and try to set pretty high standards as well. So coming off of 2018 where I felt I had the best year of my cricketing career, I think I probably fell back a little in 2019 but it’s a new year in 2020 – 2019 is behind us and for me it’s just getting myself attuned back to playing international cricket.
“Hopefully we can get some Test cricket going again. I think Test cricket is the best way to get some cricket under your belt – you get some overs under your belt, you get time to spend in the middle and it’s not rushed. That puts my cricket in good stead.”
