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BRIDGETOWN, Barbados (CMC):
Former West Indies cricketer Sir Andy Roberts has described all-rounder Jason Holder as a “damn good cricketer” but says he is “lost” as a captain, and should look to the coaching staff for help during matches.
Pointing to his field placements, the outspoken legendary former West Indies pacer described Holder as being too “defensive minded”, contending he needed to employ a more aggressive approach, especially when conditions were suited to fast bowling.
“I would like to know how we judge a captain,” Sir Andy queried. “Do we judge him by his win-loss record or do we judge him by his performance on the field or do we judge him on how well he interviews?
“I think Jason Holder as a captain on the field is lost. I don’t think he is aware of what is going on on the field because if I win a toss as a captain and before lunch on a green top pitch I am having a man on the point boundary, then I am lost.
“That’s the first thing. His field placing [leaves] a lot to be desired and I believe the time should come where he takes instructions from the coaches who can see the game better than he can.”
Not for the first time, Holder’s captaincy was put under the microscope after the team’s chastening two-Test series in New Zealand last month where West Indies lost both matches in four days by innings margins.
SURRENDERED THE WISDEN TROPHY
Earlier in 2020, he presided over a 2-1 series defeat away to England as West Indies surrendered the Wisden Trophy they had recaptured in 2019 for the first time in a decade.
Overall, Holder has led West Indies in 37 of his 45 Tests but has only won 11 while losing 21.
However, the 29-year-old remains one of the world’s leading performers in the Test format where he was the top-ranked all-rounder for nearly a year recently.
He is now ranked third in the all-rounders charts, 11th in the bowling rankings and 43rd in the batting rankings.
While endorsing the Barbadian’s remarkable ability as a cricketer, Sir Andy said his prowess as a captain needed to improve.
“A captain is only as good as the men who he leads, so there has to be something wrong with the 11 guys on the field and cannot pinpoint certain things to the captain,” Sir Andy told Starcom Radio’s Mason and Guest cricket show.
“I would give him an ‘A’ grade for his interviews – he interviews very well. He’s a damn good cricketer but he needs to be more aggressive in his approach as a captain. He’s too defensive minded.”
Sir Andy also chided Holder for recently citing the fatigue stemming from the biosecure bubbles associated with touring amid the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic.
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