West Indies' Jason Holder breaks silence over captaincy snub: 'It came as a shock'

West Indies former skipper Jason Holder has broken his silence on being relieved from the post of captain of the West Indies Cricket Team. Recently, Jason Holder pulled out his name from the Bangladesh series due to the COVID-19 situation following which Kraigg Brathwaite was chosen as the skipper of West Indies. Kraigg Brathwaite led the Caribbean team to a 2-0 victory in Bangladesh. As a result, when it was time to select the squad for the home series against Sri Lanka in March, the team kept their faith in Kraigg Brathwaite.

Roger Harper, the lead selector, said at the time that Brathwaite's role in shepherding the team successfully in the absence of many first-choice players in Bangladesh had played a big role in his appointment on a permanent basis.

Jason Holder says he was shocked after being snubbed from captaincy

West Indies all-rounder Jason Holder who has captained the Caribbean Team in 37 Tests since taking over in 2015 with 11 wins, five draws, and 21 defeats was quoted by ESPNcricinfo saying that the decision of West Indies Cricket Board came as a shock to him. "Yeah, it's been difficult. I probably may not show it, but it has been difficult. For the last five-six years, I've been captaining West Indies, whether that be Test-match cricket or one-day cricket. So now being relieved of both captaincies, it has been a strange transition for me personally," said Jason Holder on being relieved from the captaincy. Holder also added that he now wants to focus more on his game and be a sounding board for youngsters looking for guidance.

Jason Holder Stats

Holder, 29, who is among the game's leading allrounders with a Test batting average of 33.13 and a bowling return of 27.41, captained West Indies in 37 Tests since taking over in 2015 with 11 wins, five draws, and 21 defeats. After 47 Tests, Holder has 123 wickets and the No. 1 spot in the ICC rankings for Test allrounders. Earlier on Tuesday, the Cricket West Indies (CWI) selection panel named the West Indies men's 13-member squad for the first Test against South Africa, beginning this Thursday. 

Jason Holder's Heartful Note To India On IPL Suspension

When the IPL 2021 was suspended after the COVID infiltrated the bio-bubble various franchises, Jason Holder posted a heartful note for India after flying back to his nation.  The West-Indian all-rounder Jason Holder had shared a series of his pictures from the SRH camp on his Instagram handle and expressed his disappointment on the IPL 2021 suspension. Holder also urged the people of India to keep fighting the battle against the COVID-19. 

(Image Credits: AP)