Holder, Roach return for Harpy Eagles clash

BRIDGETOWN, Barbados (CMC):

Elite West Indies all-rounder Jason Holder is set to play his first regional first-class match in four years, after being included in the Barbados Pride squad for their fourth-round clash with Guyana Harpy Eagles at Coolidge Cricket Ground in Antigua starting next Wednesday.

The 32-year-old, a former West Indies Test, One-Day and Barbados captain, will be joined by fellow international stars Kemar Roach and Raymon Reifer in the 12-man squad led by current Test skipper Kraigg Brathwaite.

Holder’s red-ball career has come under the spotlight in recent times after he turned down a central retainer from Cricket West Indies and then also opted out of the two-Test tour of Australia, to focus on franchise Twenty20 cricket.

He subsequently said he had no intentions of quitting the longest format, however, indicating his desire to tour England this summer for the three-Test series.

Holder’s last regional first-class game was against Harpy Eagles at Providence during the 2020 season which was cut short by the COVID-19 pandemic.

Roach, too, will be turning out in his first regional first-class game in four years, having also last featured in the 2020 season.

The 35-year-old is the fifth-highest wicket-taker in Tests for West Indies with 270 scalps, and has also taken 523 first-class wickets from 162 matches.

Holder and Roach will bolster a Pride seam attack which comprises Chemar Holder, Jair McAllister and Shaquille Cumberbatch.

Pride currently lie third in the championship standings on 43.8 points, less than two points behind second-place Leeward Islands Hurricanes (45.6), with unbeaten Windward Islands Volcanoes on top with 62.2 points.

SQUAD – Kraigg Brathwaite (captain), Shaquille Cumberbatch, Shane Dowrich, Chaim Holder, Chemar Holder, Jason Holder, Jair McAllister, Zachary McCaskie, Raymon Reifer, Kemar Roach, Jomel Warrican, Jonathan Drakes, Shian Brathwaite; Vasbert Drakes (head coach)