Having already?had a taste of the international cricket stage, fast bowler Jason Holder is hoping to seize the next chance to make his mark when the Caribbean Premier League (CPL) starts at month-end.
The 21-year-old, who cuts an imposing figure at 6ft 7in tall, will turn out for the Barbados Tridents after being picked up by the Desmond Haynes-coached franchise in the player draft.
While Holder has played only two One-Day Internationals for West Indies, he has already been picked for three international tours – the most recent being the ICC Champions Trophy in England and Wales – and is thrilled with what he has accomplished so far.
“I am very pleased with the way my career has been progressing,” Holder told CPL Media.
“Obviously, I have been propelled for the last few months into the IPL [Indian Premier League] and the West Indies team so I have really been enjoying it and enjoying my development.
“It was always my goal to be here, at least making strides into the West Indies team around this age.
“I thought it would have taken longer . . . but I am obviously pretty excited to be in the team at this present time and I just want to stay in.”
Holder made his first-class debut back in 2009 as a 17-year-old and has not looked back since.
He represented the West Indies Under-19s at the Youth World Cup in New Zealand a year later before he gained a surprise call-up to the Windies senior team in 2012 as a replacement for injured fast bowler Tino Best on the limited overs tour of Bangladesh.
And though he failed to land a game on that tour, he was again selected for the Windies limited overs trip to Australia earlier this year, where he made his international debut.
“Though it was my first game I honestly wasn’t that nervous, which was surprising,” he recalled. “I thought I coped with the pressure quite well.
“Obviously I had done the hard work to get there. I just tried to soak up the moment as best I possibly could and enjoy it.
“It was just unfortunate that I didn’t get to play a few more games but I know if I keep doing the right things I will have a long-lasting career.”
What followed the Australia tour was definitely a shock for the right-arm pacer. He was snapped up by IPL franchise Chennai Super Kings and packed his bags for the Asian subcontinent.
He played six matches and grabbed only two wickets, but still managed to get the attention of pundits with his steep bounce and sharpness. He said the outing was about gaining valuable experience, especially at his young age.
“It was a surprise after having only one tour with the West Indies team but I guess my name was out there or thereabouts from Under-19 cricket,” Holder explained.
“Then getting the opportunity – it wasn’t a huge contract – but for me it was just about gaining the experience and mingling with the international stars, which was a wonderful experience for me.
“It was an experience, a serious experience. Playing in front of thousands of people shouting your name and just cheering you on, it was something to really soak in, something to really relish at this stage.
“For me, it was quite pleasing for us to get to the finals and having played a part in it. It was fitting for me for my first season.”
Holder has now set his sights on a good performance in the Caribbean Premier League which bowls off across the region in six countries from July 30 to August 24.
He believes that the experience gained over the last year will augur well when he turns out for the Barbados Tridents.
“I am very excited about the CPL. I think it is a great initiative, mixing the local players with some international stars.
“I think the teams are very evenly balanced so it should be very interesting to see what transpires in the next few months,” Holder said.
“I definitely think the IPL has prepared me for the CPL. I have gained a lot of knowledge over the past few months with these players in the IPL, and just playing against a lot of players.”
An added fillip for Holder is the involvement of Haynes, the legendary former West Indies opener, in the management set up of the Barbados Tridents – a partnership he believes will be a successful one.
“I have worked with Desmond Haynes before. He has managed me in the Barbados team in the past,” said Holder.
“I have a lot of respect for him and we’ve had a lot of conversations about cricket and life in general.”
The Barbados Tridents are led by franchise players Kieron Pollard and Shoaib Malik who will play alongside Dwayne Smith, Shakib al Hasan, Umar Akmal, Jason Holder, Shannon Gabriel, Rayad Emrit, Ashley Nurse, Carlos Brathwaite, Jonathan Carter, Kyle Mayers, Devendra Bishoo, Kirk Edwards and Raymon Reifer.
Following the opening ceremony on July 30, the Barbados Tridents will face the St Lucia Zouks in the tournament’s first game at Kensington Oval. (PR)
