4-day match time crucial for Holder’s comeback ahead of England series

By Clifton Ross

West Indies Captain Jason Holder’s smooth transition back onto the international scene will bank heavily on his performance over the next few rounds of the ongoing 2018-19 Cricket West Indies (CWI) Regional Four-Day Championships.
The all-rounder made his return to competitive cricket during the resumption of the Four-Day Tournament on Friday, when the Barbados Pride fielded a star-studded team against defending champs Guyana Jaguars at Kensington Oval.
Holder picked up an injury prior to the Bangladesh series which ruled him out, depleting the Windies developing pace attack. With Holder now refreshed, it will be crucial to see his approach over the next few rounds given his team’s losses in the One-Day Internationals (ODIs) and Test to Bangladesh last month.
The 27-year-old had made tremendous strides last year, jumping the ranks while averaging a decent 28 with the ball and 30 with the bat in Tests. His absence left

the Windies with a dent in the middle-lower order where the Captain has scored a number of fifties along with his two hundreds.
Holder’s absence caused a number of issues in the batting, as the right-hander has been one of the better batsmen in the side over the past two years, gaining more credibility as a genuine all-rounder with every game.
A lay-off for a few weeks will set back any athlete, more so a utility player who relies on both trades to succeed, but with three rounds, including the ongoing third round left before the Test series, Holder could likely find his groove in any of the matches.
With the form he had before injury, the all-rounder will just need some time in the middle as a batsman while his bowling could require a bit more work in and out of the nets. During the opening day versus Guyana, Holder noticeably bowled just one over as the Pride approached tea on Friday, thus raising brows as to why the skipper did not get more overs under his belt upon return from injury.
In all, it will be utmost important for Holder to hit his straps immediately, especially with much at stake going into the home series.
Meanwhile, Pride skipper Carlos Brathwaite hailed Holder’s presence in the team as they seek to move up from their number two spot on the table. “Jason was out with an injury, so we welcome him back as well as a few players who played recently in Bangladesh, their experience and skills should make us a good unit to compete against Guyana on our home turf.”