West Indies’ John Campbell in action in England. Adrian Dennis/Pool via REUTERS
By Azad Ali
West Indies Captain, Jason Holder
has alluded to “bubble fatigue” in the
West Indies squad following their series
whitewash to New Zealand earlier this
month.
The highly-rated all-rounder said
playing amid the ongoing COVID-19
pandemic impacted players mentally,
especially with the challenge of “going
from bubble to bubble” and having
to undergo quarantine protocols in
respective countries.
“It has been a tough year not only for
the team but I know for me personally
is has been tough,” Holder said following
the innings and 12-run defeat in the
second Test against New Zealand inside
four days.
“I haven’t seen home in six months
now. We’ve been going non-stop – we’ve
had pay cuts – and it’s a situation where
you’re still trying to make a living and
still looking to make use of every opportunity
that you get,” he told reporters.
Caribbean Life, D 30 ECEMBER 25-31, 2020
“It will be good for the guys to get
home for the Christmas and spend
some time with their families. Hopefully
some of them get there in time,”
he added.
West Indies arrived in New Zealand
on Oct. 30, spending some 18 months
over a series comprising three Twenty20
Internationals and two Tests.
Some players, like Holder came from
the Indian Premier League (IPL), which
was also played under strict health protocols
in the United Arab Emirates from
Sept. 19 to Nov. 10.
Prior to the IPL, many of the West
Indies players were involved in the Caribbean
Premier League (CP)L), again
played in a bio-secure “bubble” in Trinidad
from Aug. 18 to Sept. 10.
Last June, Holder and an expanded
Test squad arrived in England for
the ground-breaking three-Test tour
in July- the first to be played following
the global lockdown of cricket due to
COVID-19.
West Indies’ Jason Holder, as play
resumes behind closed doors in
England following the outbreak of
the coronavirus disease (COVID-19).
Jon Super/Pool via REUTERS
Sir Andy
Continued from Page 29
consecutive massive innings defeats
in their two Test series in New Zealand
recently.
Sir Andy, a former West Indies
coach himself said that only the players
must review their planning and
development process but also administrators
throughout the hierarchy
of Cricket West Indies (CWI) must
re-assess their roles in the declining
on-field outcomes.
“Everybody from the president
right down to the last player- and I
mean the regional players-everybody
has to take stock and look at themselves,
look in the mirror and just
figure out where I am going wrong?
Because there is something going
wrong with West Indies cricket,” he
said, adding “we are the only nation
in world cricket who hasn’t improved
in the last 15-20 years.”
“It is embarrassing. It has been
embarrassing to see what is carrying
on,” he added.
The former fast bowler said he
was not and has not been surprised
by the West Indies results in the last
15 years.
He suggested that the players
needed to take pride in themselves
and pursue their own self-development.
“We have absolutely no plan. We
are not well prepared. Our domestic
cricket needs to be restructured
because we are not producing any
cricketers. We not even producing
T20 cricketers anymore,” he concluded.
one match could be dropped.
The tour takes place as Bangladesh
inches towards the half-million
mark in COVID-19 infections, with
still over 600,000 active cases. There
have been 700,000 deaths.
CWI said in a release: “The Board
of Directors of Cricket West Indies
has approved in principle the tour
of Bangladesh, subject to the finalization
of the medical and logistical
details within the tour Memorandum
of Understanding.”
lost by an innings and 134 runs before
lunch on the penultimate day.
He followed that up with 69 in the
first innings of the second Test at the
Basin Reserve in Wellington, when the
regional team slumped to an innings
and 12-run defeat.
Leading opener Kraigg Braithwaite
managed only 55 runs, Shamarh
Brooks, struggled with 53 while Darren
Bravo could only scrape 32 rubs.
Captain Jason Holder (103), who
made a half century in Wellington and
tail-ender Alzarri Joseph, who hit 86 in
Hamilton (110), both passed 100 runs
for the series.
Continued from Page 29
Cricket West Indies President,
Ricky Skerritt. Cricket West Indies
Continued from Page 29
BLACKWOOD REMAINS UNSCATHED
WI tour
Captain Holder says West Indies mentally exhausted