PORT OF SPAIN, Trinidad, May 2, CMC – All-rounder Jason Holder says he does not want to be pigeon-holed as simply a Test player but believes he has a contribution to make to West Indies cricket in all three formats.
The 28-year-old, who has led West Indies in Tests for the last five years, has emerged recently as one of the world’s leading players in the longest format where he has been ranked as the number one all-rounder for over a year now.
And though Test cricket is where he has managed to make his mark, Holder still thinks his skills and knowledge can be helpful in the white-ball versions.
“My sole focus is West Indies cricket. I just want to make that very clear,” he said in a recent interview here.
“Yes, I’m captain of the West Indies Test side and that’s obviously where the leadership side of me lies but I think my contribution solely is to West Indies cricket. I think West Indies cricket is so diverse in many different ways and for us as players, we’ve got to understand each and everyone of us has a part to play in this whole puzzle.
“I don’t want to just segregate myself and pigeon-hole myself to one particular format. Yes I’m the captain for the Test team but as I’ve crossed formats for a number of years, I think my sole focus has been on West Indies cricket, ideally in all three formats not only in Test cricket.
“We all want to see our side going up to the number one ranked team in the world and that will take some time. We’ve just got to narrow in or be a bit more detailed and precise in how we go about achieving these goals and sticking to it.”
Until last September, Holder also captained the one-day side, having led the unit since 2014. Following a dismal World Cup in England last July and another series defeat to India the following month, Holder was relieved of responsibility for the one-day side. He led the side in 86 ODIs, winning only 24 matches and losing 54. He averaged nearly 28 with the bat and snared 101 of his 136 one-day wickets.
Holder said while “disappointed” by the move to sack him, he understood the decision had been taken in the “best interest of West Indies cricket”.
“I don’t think there is a soul in this world who would be entrusted with or given such a leadership of a Caribbean cricket team, it being taken away from you and you not feel disappointed,” he explained.
“But for me, it’s just seeing the bigger picture. They’re people who’ve been hired and employed to do a job and that’s to administrate West Indies cricket and they will make decisions in the best interest of West Indies cricket, and if that’s the decision made, then I’ll definitely accept it and move on.
“I definitely still have a massive contribution to [make] both on the field and off the field and I will just go and do it to the best of my ability.”
After being relieved of the one-day captaincy, Holder then inspired Barbados Tridents to their second Caribbean Premier League title when he oversaw their capture of the regional domestic T20 franchise tournament.
The Barbadian has flourished in the Test arena. Currently, he is the highest-ranked West Indies batsman at 35th in the ICC tables and is number three in the bowling charts. While his skills have been evident, he has also gained plaudits for his captaincy, and said the responsibility of leadership had been a motivating factor.
“Being captain drives me a little bit more because I’m that more switched on all the time and I guess that’s one of the things I’m trying to work on now in terms of my transition back into being a normal player [in the one-day side],” Holder explained.
“But I love the leadership role; the leadership role for me is one where it makes me focus and drives me in a way where my performances definitely have to lead by example and I definitely have to practice what I preach.”
