BRIDGETOWN, Barbados, CMC – West Indies Test captain Jason Holder has been included in a 22-man Barbados Pride provisional squad announced yesterday by the Barbados Cricket Association, in preparation for next month’s Regional Super50 Cup in Antigua.
The 29-year-old all-rounder was one one of 10 players who last week declined selection for the Test and one-day tour of Bangladesh, due to “COVID-19 related concerns or personal fears”.
Three other players – Shai Hope, Roston Chase and Shamarh Brooks – who also opted out of the West Indies tour, have also been named in the training unit.
Fast bowler Chemar Holder, who made his Test debut on last month’s tour of New Zealand, is among the contingent. He has been included in the 15-man one-day squad for the Bangladesh tour.
With the Super50 Cup scheduled to run from February 7-27 and clashing with the January 10 to February 15 tour of Bangladesh, Barbados had been set to miss out on the services of key players.
But with the quartet opting out of the Windies tour, Barbados could be boast a very strong side when the final squad is announced later this month.
Jason Holder will bring vast experience to the unit as is a former West Indies one-day captain who has played 115 One-Day Internationals and taken 136 wickets.
He led the Test side on the recent tour of New Zealand and then stayed on in Australia to play three games in the Big Bash for Sydney Sixers.
Hope, meanwhile, who slammed two hundreds during the Barbados Legends Cup – the trial series staged last month – is one of the world’s leading ODI batsmen with an average of 52 from 78 ODIs.
And Chase’s all-rounder services will be just as valuable while Brooks’s presence also further boosts the Pride lineup.
The provisional squad also includes the out-of-favour West Indies trio of Jonathan Carter, Ashley Nurse and Miguel Cummins, along with 24-year-old fast bowler Keon Harding who toured England with the West Indies Test side last July.
SQUAD – Joshua Bishop, Leniko Boucher, Camarie Boyce, Shamarh Brooks, Jonathan Carter, Roston Chase, Miguel Cummins, Dominic Drakes, Jonathan Drakes, Justin Greaves, Keon Harding, Chemar Holder, Jason Holder, Kyle Hope, Shai Hope, Akeem Jordan, Nicholas Kirton, Zachary McCaskie, Ashley Nurse, Roshon Primus, Shamar Springer, Tevyn Walcott.
