Bridgetown, Barbados – West Indies’ captain wants to be the best all-rounder in the world.
Speaking at a presentation and interactive session at Cooperators General Insurance for the St. Catherine’s Junior cricket team, Holder said that “I would like to be the number one all-rounder in the world in the next two years.”
He said that he has been critiqued and he has a plan in order to get where he wants to be.
“I have a process how to get there. I set goals, how many runs and how many wickets.”
Newly appointed to the post of Test captain, and many captains’ own games have suffered, Holder said that when he looks back on his career he has always performed better as a leader.
But his goals are not only personal as he hopes to make a difference in the West Indies team.
“I would say I am mature enough to handle this post and I have a vision where I want to take cricket, but more than personally, it is about getting everyone together.”
“When one looks at the past teams, they looked like a family and this modern cricket team doesn’t look like a family.”
He wants to build a relationship with the players, one with respect and trust. However, he knows that bringing everyone together and getting everyone ‘singing from the same page’ will be his biggest challenge.
Holder who said his love for the game started when he was watching the Ashes in 2005 as well as seeing players such as Curtly Ambrose, Courtney Walsh and Brian Lara playing, said that one thing that he has learnt is to never give up.
Holder mentioned that preparation is key and often times while many cricketers, after maintaining their fitness and preparation at home, when they travel on tours is when they tend to neglect it as they are often tired from games. However, he believes that this is when it is most important to maintain the training regime as players often breakdown on tour because their fitness level falls when one is away from home.
Holder said to the young cricketers that the harder you work outside [the field] then the easier it is on the field. (The Barbados Advocate).