West Indies coach Phil Simmons says Test captain Jason Holder is “always in consideration” for the shortest format despite not being selected for the Twenty20 International squad for the tour of New Zealand.
Holder has not featured since December 2019 in the Kieron Pollard-led T20 side despite impressive performances in the Caribbean Premier League and the ongoing Indian Premier League.
He scored 192 runs at an average of 21.33, a strike rate of 140.14, and took ten wickets at an economy of 6.63 for the Barbados Tridents in the last CPL.
In the IPL, he has been instrumental in giving the Sunrisers Hyderabad a shot at the final. Coming in as a replacement for the injured Mitchell Marsh, Holder has captured 13 wickets from six games at an economy of 7.62. With the bat, too, he has played a couple of crucial knocks.
Simmons said the decision to not include Holder in the T20 side was taken keeping in mind the packed tour.
“Jason always has a chance to play T20 cricket,” Simmons said. “Let me just clear it up here. This is an odd tour here.”
West Indies are scheduled to play three T20 internationals in four days followed by two Tests, with a gap of just two days between the series. (EZS/ESPN)
