West Indies star Jason Holder acknowledges that limiting England’s batsmen will be “a challenge” before their limited-overs series in the Caribbean. Although he will miss the series due to injury, Holder emphasized that his team will “definitely step up” and has the potential to win. England will play three ODIs and then five T20s against the West Indies, starting with the first match on Thursday.
West Indies star Jason Holder acknowledged that managing England’s batsmen will be “a challenge” during their limited-overs tour in the Caribbean, but he is confident that his teammates will “step up.” England is set to play a three-match ODI series followed by five T20s against the West Indies, all of which will be available for exclusive streaming on TNT Sports and discovery+.
Before Thursday’s first ODI in Antigua and Barbuda, former West Indies captain Holder shared his predictions and discussed what the series means for the home team.
Holder, who is sidelined due to injury for the upcoming white-ball matches, told TNT Sports: “I definitely believe we can win [the series]. We won the last series when England visited last year, so our players just need to embrace this opportunity.
“We tend to perform at our best during significant series, and this is certainly a major one for us. Our team is ready, willing, and capable. In our core group, we have experienced players like Shai Hope, who has been vital for our batting in recent years, alongside young talents like Evin Lewis, who is returning to international cricket after a remarkable century in Sri Lanka.”
England aims to secure a win in the Caribbean after suffering a tough series defeat to Pakistan in Tests. Holder, discussing potential turning points in the matches, stated: “I believe our batting is well-prepared. They will certainly rise to the occasion in this series.
“The real challenge lies with our bowling unit, as they need to take ten wickets and limit England’s scoring as much as possible.”
I believe match-ups play a crucial role in modern cricket, and there will certainly be several key ones in this series.
“They have experienced players who pose a real threat for England. However, we also have our own strengths within the squad, like Alzarri [Joseph] in our bowling and Shai Hope in our batting. When considering both teams and their players, I expect it to be a highly competitive series.”