DUBLIN, Ireland (CMC) – West Indies skipper Jason Holder has made it clear that they will be going all out to win the Tri-Nation series against Ireland and Bangladesh which bowls off today.
Although only eight of the 15-man squad named for the ICC World Cup are available for today’s opening game against Ireland, Holder said he still expects the regional unit to give a strong showing.
Bangladesh are ranked eighth, one place higher than the ninth-ranked Windies, while Ireland are ranked 12th out of the 15 ODI sides.
“Ireland and Bangladesh are two very good sides. We’ve been to Bangladesh in the recent past where we didn’t get the overall results we were looking for, but definitely conditions have changed and the dynamics of the team have also changed, so we’re looking to start this tournament really well,” Holder said.
“I think once we hit our three departments in terms of batting, bowling and fielding, we’ll definitely be in good stead at the end of it. We see this as an opportunity to get into some match practice and start our preparations into the World Cup.”
With the likes of Andre Russell, Chris Gayle, Oshane Thomas, Evin Lewis and Shimron Hetmyer still participating in the IPL, several players not named in the World Cup squad will get an opportunity to prove their worth.
Holder said he expects those players to grab the opportunity with both hands.
“Guys must see it as an opportunity to showcase what they can do at the international level. I guess many of them have not played ODI cricket and it’s just a case where it is another opportunity for them to be seen on this circuit. When given the opportunity I expect everyone to give of his best,” he said.
The Windies captain also comes in the tournament in a rich vein of form.
He spent a month playing county cricket with Northamptonshire in the Royal London Cup and County Championships.
In the Cup he scored 284 runs in five matches at an average of 71.
He said the time spent in England served as good preparation for the series.
“It was a solid month for me in terms of having some match practice. I got a few overs under my belt and I also spent some time in the middle, so it was a well spent month and I’m in a really good frame of mind coming into this tournament here,” Holder said.
