West Indies all-rounder Jason Holder might be off the central contract and pursuing franchise leagues these days but He is determined to get back into red-ball cricket.
West Indies are on a high in the longest format following their recent success against Australia.
Holder had decided not to have his name in the national contract in order to concentrate on T20 cricket.
Subsequently, he opted out of the Australia Test series to hone his skills in the shortest format by playing different franchise leagues across the globe.
“I didn’t take the central contract this year. A lot of thinking was there behind me not taking the central contract as I prioritized the T20 World Cup in order to give me the best chance to be in the squad. This is a conscious decision I made. I really wanted to sign the central contract but it didn’t work out. After not signing the contract, my decision was to capitalize on the first window this year and try to play as much T20 cricket leading up to the T20 World Cup,” Holder told reporters at Chattogram. The all-rounder is currently plying his trade for Khulna Tigers in the ongoing Bangladesh Premier League.
West Indies produced a heist in the second Test against Australia to win by 8 runs, to level the series 1-1.
The result came on the back of Shamar Joseph’s 7 for 68, a fiery spell that ripped through the hosts’ line-up. This was West Indies’ first win on Australian soil in 27 years (9855 days) and 17 Tests. The previous win had came in 1997 at the WACA by 10 wickets.
While he is disappointed at not having been part of the historic series, the 32-year-old maintained that his red-ball dreams haven’t gone anywhere.
“I’m a passionate and loyal person. I like to stay humble and I’m also a family man. When I came on the radar, there was no T20 cricket. When it came in, obviously I became a little bit older. When I grew up watching cricket, it was Test cricket and one-day cricket. I loved watching West Indies versus Australia because there was no league. There was all about passion at that time and I always remain loyal to these formats. It’s because that gave me a passion for cricket. I loved watching Brian Lara, I loved watching Sir Curtly Ambrose and Courtney Walsh. These guys have played before me and I grew up seeing them play cricket. That’s where my love affair with Test cricket came. And then I got the opportunity to play Test and I had some hard days on the field. But our every success makes all the bad days out of the window. And that’s why I love Test cricket,” he said.
“I watched a lot of the Test series when I was at ILT20. I was so proud. I had a keen interest in that series (against Australia) because I wanted to see how the younger guys come in and perform. Actually not perform, just to hold up in the environment. I never watch cricket with any kind of expectation. I watch only to learn. When I saw the Test series, I was so proud,” he said.
“I was disappointed not to be there. I felt bad not to be among the boys. I think it was brilliant for me as I miss it even more. It gives me more push to get back on the field again,” he added.