CHENNAI, India, CMC- A fast bowling legend and a former Australia cricket captain have criticized the appointment of Jason Holder as West Indies captain, arguing that the decision could ruin his Test cricketer.
Former Australia captain Ian Chappell has described the decision as a “monumental blunder” while former Windies pacer Andy Roberts as suggested Holder step down from the position to salvage his career.
Holder’s elevation, first as one-day captain last December and more recently in the Test format, has drawn criticism in some quarters because of his relative inexperience.
“Look, he has not settled into Test cricket. The team is failing and it will have a negative effect on him,” declared Roberts in an interview with midday.com during a visit to the Indian city of Chennai.
“He is trying to be positive, but you can’t be positive when everything around you is negative.”
Holder, 24, is leading the West Indies on a three-match tour of Australia where they suffered a 177 run defeat in the second Test on the fourth day yesterday to lose the series.
“You will have to query the decision of the West Indies selectors, to give Jason Holder the captaincy. He is a guy who is trying to learn test cricket. He is a good young cricketer but to burden him with that job is in my opinion ridiculous in the first place,” said Chappell.
“But then when you see him captain you understand that he just has not played enough cricket to really work out what’s going on. It is a monumental blunder in my book”.
Barbadian Holder is the second youngest ever Windies Test captain, replacing the more experienced Denesh Ramdin who was sacked after just 15 months in charge.
