BARBADOS – Cricket West Indies (CWI) president Dave Cameron and Captain Jason Holder have high hopes for WINDIES cricket as the side continues to demonstrate “the immense talent of West Indians.”
Following a victory in the Test series with England, Cameron believes a good showing by the WINDIES during the One Day Internationals (ODIs) against the world’s leading team contributes to reenergizing Caribbean cricket and uniting the region:“Caribbean people are very passionate about West Indies cricket and they understand that the task ahead is huge to rebuild the West Indies team back to its glorious days of success,” said the CWI President.
Captain Holder believes the team is on the right track for success by focusing on leadership, sustainability and energizing the franchise system: “Around the world, most other territories have efficient franchise systems where players can be developed and then graduate to the senior team or on to the international circuit. Hopefully, in years to come, we can get to the point where all our franchises are self-sustaining, and players can develop and improve their cricket.”
The West Indies skipper, the number one Test all-rounder as ranked by the ICC Test Match Player Rankings, was confident that consistent winning and exciting cricket will attract sponsors and the financial infusion needed to strengthen West Indies cricket: “Funding has been fundamental to sustaining and developing our systems. If we can continue to make improvements … we can get a few more sponsors on board.”
The team leader doffed his cap to the recently assembled coaching staff: “It’s been pretty good working with (interim coach) Richard (Pybus). He’s very well organized and I think the guys have really bought into what he’s brought.”
Solidifying the team’s leadership, according to Holder, is key to driving the WINDIES back to the top ranks of world cricket: “The issue we’ve had in West Indies cricket is … since they’ve been playing for a couple of years now … I have had quite a few coaches come in and leave. But it would be good to have a solid figure in place in terms of a head coach, and then the guys can sit down and work around the head coach.”
Holder, who has captained the WINDIES since 2014 when he was 23 years old, claimed he has not been doing things differently: “I’ve just been a bit clearer on my personal plans and patience has been one of the things I’ve gotten better at in the longer form of cricket … one of the things that I’ve really nailed down is having a clear simple game plan. Once I do, execution becomes a lot easier and cricket seems a little bit easier than sometimes we make it seem.”
-CWI
