Veteran all-rounder Jason Holder who watched West Indies' historic Gabba victory on television returned to Test fold for the tour of England. Holder who had turned down the central contract and skipped West Indies' tour of England to play in International League T20, admits that he missed Test cricket. However, he does not have a solution for players choosing to participate in franchise leagues over Test cricket.
"It's not my job to find a solution", Holder said as quoted by ESPNCricinfo. "It is what it is. This is where the game is moving, each and every person has their own personal decision to make. I was just so happy for the boys when they when they did what it did in Australia."
Holder revealed that West Indies’ emphatic win on Australian soil after 1988 gave him ‘renewed energy’ and the motivation to play Test cricket again.
"It gave me a renewed energy to come back to the group, and try to be a part of something special again. I missed Test cricket. This is my first Test match in a long time, so I'm looking forward to it. I'm just happy that I've been able to still get the body up and going and being up for the challenge here," the 32-year-old said.
Special talent in dressing room
West Indies are alive in the World Test Championship 2023-25 and said that the infusion of young blood has given them the belief that can beat Ben Stokes’ England.
"The guys took a lot from that Test victory in Australia. We've been doing some really positive things over the last couple of months. And I think as a young side, the main thing is just to keep learning. What we have in the dressing room is some special talent, no doubt about it. It's just a matter for us just to play some solid cricket and they'll have just to believe. It's time for someone to break the shackles, and there's no better time for us to come here and beat England," the former West Indies captain said after the training session in London.
Holder’s last Test appearance
The last time Holder played Test cricket was in July 2023. He took a couple of wickets and scored 15 runs in one appearance as the Test ended in a draw.
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