15 Dec 2020

Jason Holder: 'It was a tough year'

5:04 am on 15 December 2020

Spare a thought for Jason Holder and his West Indies cricket team who are now preparing to leave New Zealand and for many of them return home for the first time in months..

West Indies captain Jason Holder.

Jason Holder Photo: PHOTOSPORT

The West Indies suffered a convincing Test series whitewash at the hands of the Black Caps to go with their unsuccessful trip to England earlier this year.

The West Indies were the first team to travel and play a series during the coronavirus pandemic, going into isolation in England in July before losing that series 2-1.

They've since come to New Zealand and lost the T20 series 2-0 and the Test series 2-0.

"Credit to every individual who would have sacrificed their health and the risk travelling around the world in this pandemic."

"It has been a tough year, not only for the team but I know for me personally I haven't seen home in six months now, we've been going non-stop and we've taken pay cuts."

"It's a situation where you're still wanting to make a living and still looking to make use of every opportunity that you get but having said that, going from bubble to bubble and being isolated into a room, your room just gets smaller and smaller by the second."

"I know a few guys have tired minds, we've been on the road again for a while and it will be good for the guys to get home for Christmas and spend some time with their families, so hopefully that will happen as some players have to do a quarantine when they arrive home."

However for Holder, home is still a little while off as he goes to Australia for the Big Bash and the West Indies then have a series in Bangladesh in January.

Jason Holder, West Indies captain.

Photo: PHOTOSPORT

"I really don't know when I'll get home, but I'm still enjoying it and trying to make the most of every opportunity I get."

While it hasn't been a particularly successful year for the Windies, Holder isn't paying too much attention to the talk at home.

The West Indies are eighth in the Test rankings, ninth in the ODI rankings and tenth in the T20 rankings.

"To be honest I don't pay a lot of attention to it (the chatter back home), there's a lot of noise but I've got enough to worry about playing cricket and being on the field."

"I know the die-hard fans are very disappointed, as we are, and all we can do is urge them to stick behind us."

"It is a hard thing to ask sometimes when you see the performances, but we adore them, we love them and we still play for them and I know each and every individual crosses that line with them in mind."