TOUGH TIMES
West Indies and Tridents captain Jason Holder said it has been a challenging time, having to be at home when he really wants to get out and play the game of cricket.
Speaking on the Caribbean Premier League (CPL) franchise Tridents Connect Live yesterday, Holder said he was looking forward to the tour of England as well as preparing to defend their title in the CPL.
“I was definitely preparing for that and looking forward to that,” said Holder, who mentioned he has taken up some experimenting in the kitchen with the time he has spent indoors thus far.
“It is beyond our control and we have to wait and see what transpires in the next couple of weekends.
“With everything else going on in the world, the first priority was good health. We do understand the circumstances.”
He urged everyone to follow the rules and regulations being set out by Government and the Ministry of Health as it is something none of us has ever experienced before and “we have to do it together”.
The No. 1 allrounder in the world, Holder said that it has been difficult to get in a workout at home with the limited resources, but he has been doing what little bit he can.
“None of us hope it will last forever, so we are waiting it out and staying positive.”
Looking back at when they got the news that everything would stop on the field of play in cricket, Holder said that they were on the field and playing cricket in the regional first-class tournament.
He was playing for the Barbados Pride, who were eventually declared the winners. Holder was originally supposed to lead the Pride in the domestic season, but international duty took him away and then when he came back, he felt that Kraigg Brathwaite, who had stood as captain and led the team in his absence, should have continued with only a few games left.
As he recalled the 2019 CPL season, Holder said that it was a feeling that was difficult to explain when the team lifted the coveted trophy.
The Barbados Tridents defended 171/6 to win by 27 runs in Trinidad last October.
“We didn’t start well,” said Holder about the initial stages of the tournament as the Tridents lost four of their five opening games.
As a result, they had to take it game by game, never knowing the fate of the team.
One of the pivotal moments of the tournament, which Holder recalled, was the match against the St. Lucia Zouks in Gros Islet.
Holder said that the Darren Sammy Stadium is known to be a difficult place for fielding as the ball swirls in the air and oftentimes gets lost in the background. It was a do-or-die game for the Tridents; during practice there were many dropped catches but in the game, they were better and went on to win by 71 runs and capture their second victory of the tournament at that stage.
In the final, their plan was to attack Shoaib Malik, who they felt was the glue and the leader of the Guyana Warriors in the tournament. Their plan worked and they were victorious.
Holder felt that Hayden Walsh Jr., Ashley Nurse, Jonathan Carter and Raymond Reifer all played crucial roles in the team for the Tridents, along with Alex Hales, JP Duminy and Justin Greaves.
Hoping that the pandemic will end and allow for some cricket later this year, Holder mentioned that defending a title in any competition is always hard work, but one of the first messages is to let the team know that last year is history.
“We can’t ride on last year. I think in the whole aspect, we have to understand where we are as a side and getting better and better.”
Holder noted that an improved home leg is needed as for two or three years, they haven’t capitalised on the home advantage.
“If we can mesh that with how we play away, we will be in a better standing to make the playoffs and the finals.
“It is really important to give the home fans something to cheer about. The public of Barbados has always stuck behind us and it is great to see them come out and support us. The atmosphere is always one to look forward to.”