“Not having them would be a huge loss to any side. But it’s beyond our control and we have to accept it and move on”

Image courtesy of: ESPNcricinfo

West Indies ODI captain Jason Holder has admitted that his side are going to struggle in the World Cup since they don’t have the services of Kieron Pollard and Dwayne Bravo.

Holder also revealed that he did not agree with the national selectors’ decision to snub them.

“They are two players who have done well in world cricket,” Holder said. “But it’s out of our control. Not having them would be a huge loss to any side. But it’s beyond our control and we have to accept it and move on.”

Holder also conceded that he is nervous about leading the West Indies in the World Cup at the age of 23.

“Being captain is a huge thing for me,” he said. “At 22-years-old I was the youngest captain of all time. Yes, I had to think about it. It was a delicate time. So I gave it some thought and spoke to a few players around the dressing room and made my decision.

“I’ve seen myself to be a leader in most teams I’ve put myself into. I’ve led teams before. I led West Indies Under-19 and I was vice-captain on the West Indies A team. It’s not something that I’m fresh to. We’ve been inconsistent and not played to the best of our abilities but we have some world beaters in our team. It’s all about putting it all together.”

When asked if captaining senior players like Chris Gayle is a challenging task, Holder said: “Chris is big player for any team he plays for. He’s a world beater. He’s been a top batsman for us for a number of years. We just want him to be his normal self and get the best out of him.

“I have built a relationship with some of the senior players. Being captain has not been that difficult thus far. We didn’t do too well in South Africa but we didn’t have our full-strength team out there. I have a good relationship with all the guys.”