"Don't think all is lost" - Jason Holder optimistic of West Indies cricket's turnaround despite 2023 World Cup debacle
West Indies all-rounder Jason Holder believes the national team has a lot to look forward to despite failing to reach the main draw of the 2023 World Cup. The Barbadian stated that they have plenty of talent to put things right for the future.
Having lost all three matches of the Super Six stage of the 2023 World Cup qualifiers, the Men in Maroon are now out of contention. The two-time champions hit a new low on Saturday, losing to Scotland by seven wickets after being skittled for 181.
Speaking at a post-match press conference, Holder recognized that the promising crop of players in the West Indies need little guidance and is optimistic of good results following.
"I don't think all is lost. There's a lot of young guys in the group who can definitely develop and turn things around for West Indies cricket. We've got a young crop of players and we've got to put some support around them. It's really important that we try to utilise time outside of competition and put things in place where we can develop our talent."
Saturday's fixture against Scotland saw a top-order wobble, with two batters registering ducks.
The 77-run stand between Holder and Romario Shepherd restored some sanity. Despite picking up a wicket off the first ball, the West Indies could not put pressure on Scotland.
"We've got to come together as a region" - Jason Holder
The 31-year-old stressed the importance of coming together as a region and restoring consistency by doing plenty of soul-searching.
He added:
"We've all got to do it. It's not an individual thing, it's not a territorial thing, we've got to come together as a region and really think about how we want to go forward as a group and make it happen. We have to find ways to get better and head in the direction we need to head in consistently."
He further said:
"There have been too many fluctuations between good performances and bad performances. It's a matter for us to understand where we are at, know where we want to go and all of us putting our hands up."
The West Indies will face India at home in 2 Tests, 3 ODIs, and 5 T20Is, starting on July 12.