I want to be part of T20 World Cup, says Holder

BRIDGETOWN, Barbados (CMC):

Former Test captain Jason Holder has pointed to his desire to feature in next year’s Twenty20 World Cup as the reason behind his decision to snub selectors for next month’s Test tour of Australia.

And the 32-year-old, also a former One-Day International skipper, said the “constantly evolving” nature of the global game had left players with decisions to make concerning their careers, especially with the current opportunities in franchise cricket “to maximise your earnings”.

Holder was the major omission in the 15-man squad announced Wednesday for the two-Test tour Down Under, Cricket West Indies saying in a release that the region’s leading all-rounder had “expressed a preference to explore T20 franchise opportunities in January”.

“I’ve been an all-format player for probably the last eight or nine years,” Holder, who has played 64 Tests, 138 ODIs and 59 Twenty20 Internationals, told ESPN Cricinfo.

“If you look at the current scope of the sport in general, it’s now a more common trend based on the dynamics of world cricket: everything is constantly evolving.

“There are leagues popping up here, there and everywhere and there are quite a number of options for players.

“It all depends on what a player wants in terms of his career. It’s a profession, and there’s a massive window in terms of franchise cricket early in the year.

“The main part of my decision is to prioritise playing as much T20 cricket as I can leading up to the T20 World Cup – and of course, in doing so, there is also the opportunity to maximise your earnings.”

Holder’s name was also missing from the list of central contracts announced earlier this month, CWI also saying then he had declined the offer “but confirmed … availability for all West Indies T20 Internationals during the contract year”.

The T20 World Cup is scheduled to be played June 4 to June 30 in the Caribbean and the United States and Holder, a recent fixture in the side for the shortest format, said he wanted to ensure he was part of the showpiece.

“I’ve never played a World Cup at home. I really, really want to be a part of it because I love playing in front of the fans in the Caribbean,” he said.

“I think we’ve really got a good chance of lifting the trophy… the cricket that we’ve been playing in the last couple of months gives us real encouragement that we can go there and do something special.

“Why wouldn’t I want to give myself the best chance to be a part of it?”