I don't think I'd ever give up captaincy: Holder

cricbuzz.com
Jason Holder has said his Windies team have to learn their lessons quickly after a heavy defeat in the first Test of the series at Edgbaston last week but confirmed he has not contemplated standing down as captain. The tourists were outmanoeuvred at every turn by a more experienced and skilful England team in Birmingham and the margin of defeat, by an innings and 209 runs, exposed the current gulf in quality between the two sides.

In the wake of that defeat, there has been criticism aplenty. The Windies players have been accused of lacking fight and pride by former great Curtly Ambrose and the domestic and coaching structures in the Caribbean have been criticised for failing to produce players ready for Test cricket. There has also been talk of the need for a two divisional Test structure where teams such as Windies can play against opponents of similar quality.

Ahead of the second Test at Headingley, Holder is trying to blank such talk out. "I don't really hear it," he said on Thursday (August 24). "I can't change it or control so it's a waste of time worrying about it. We've taken a fair bit of criticism from West Indians and English and everybody else to be honest. That's something that inspires or motivates some people and it breaks some people.

"But for us we've got to stay together as a side for people who might not necessarily be able to handle it. For the people it motivates that must drive them to get the best out of themselves."

Head coach Stuart Law and Holder have held some honest conversations with the squad in the aftermath of the first Test and sports psychologist Steve Sylvester has been helping the players "understand our games a bit more". Whether they have had enough time to coax any great improvement out of Windies remains to be seen.

Despite being captain for two years, Holder is only 25 years old and a relatively inexperienced player. He has just 51 first-class games to his name, 24 of which have been Test matches. At Edgbaston, he made some tactical missteps and failed to galvanise his team in the field. His bowling, so often consistent and frugal, was wayward. As much as the other Windies players, many of whom are also young and inexperienced, Holder is still learning on the job.

"It's not easy," Holder admitted. "We haven't had the best results over the last few years but I enjoy it. I don't shy away from it and I don't think I'd ever give it up. There might be a situation where people want to move on from me but I can't control that. The one thing I can control is trying to get the best out of each and every individual in the dressing room and I try my best to do that.

"One thing I've said to myself is that when I leave here just leave some kind of mark on it. So far the guys have been quite receptive and helped me out tremendously. It is a young group, we're trying to learn as fast as we possibly can under the circumstances we're faced with."

That has to start at Headingley tomorrow. The likely return of Shannon Gabriel will add more aggression and pace to the weapons at Holder's disposal. Devendra Bishoo, the leg-spinner, may also be selected to provide some variety to an attack which looked all too similar at Edgbaston. A Windies victory may be unlikely but an improved performance would go some way to silencing the critics who have been so vocal since the first Test.
cricbuzz.com

captain for life