Brian Lara lauds Jason Holder's appointment as West Indies Test captain
Legendary West Indian batsman Brian Lara has shown strong approval over the decision to nominate fast bowler Jason Holder as Test skipper, and hailed his appointment as an excellent choice.
The former captain felt Holder was suitable to deal with the challenges of Test captaincy, after watching him lead the side in the 50-over format. The 46-year old even went on to describe Holder as another version of Clive Lloyd.
“I think it’s an excellent choice. I saw the young man while working during the World Cup in Australia, and the pressure that he came under, personally with his bowling and even as a captain, and the way he handled it. He’s very eloquent and big in stature and he reminds me of another version of a Clive Lloyd”, he said to the official WI cricket website.
Holder needs a lot of support: Lara
Jason Holder was earlier appointed test captain, replacing Denesh Ramdin, who was sacked from Test captaincy. Holder’s maiden assignment as Test skipper will be the upcoming tour of Sri Lanka next month.
The appointment of the 23-year old as Test skipper had raised eyebrows in the cricketing circles because of his young age and inexperience. Holder will be the second youngest West Indian Test captain, in terms of both age and experience, having played just 8 Test matches previously.
However, Lara felt that with the right support from the cricket board, Holder could go a long way. “I have a lot of belief in the fact that he can do well if he gets the support from the players but more importantly from his employers, the West Indies Cricket Board”, he stated.
“I still believe we are still in the same mind-set as we were 10, 15, 20 years ago which is not good for West Indies cricket and I hope they can change that a bit, and the likes of Clive Lloyd (selector) being around and some younger faces being around, lends to the fact that there might be something on the horizon”, he continued.
A relatively inexperienced Holder was first handed over ODI captaincy in December last year, much to the surprise of many, and even lead the squad during the World Cup down-under. But Lara believes Holder could make a name for himself and could definitely go a long way with a little encouragement and support from his fellow teammates and the cricketing board.