Jason Holder has termed his sacking from the captaincy of the West Indies cricket team a ‘shocking’ development when he got to know about the development. Holder was replaced by Kraigg Brathwaite as the Test captain while Kieron Pollard was handed over the leadership of the ODI team earlier this year.
In an interview with ESPNcricinfo, Holder talked about the ‘strange transition’ he has gone through in the aftermath of losing captaincy in terms of changing priority and to-do list before a game that is largely limited his personal preparation and not thinking about the team combination.
"Yeah, it's been difficult. I probably may not show it, but it has been difficult. For the last five-six years, I've been captaining West Indies, whether that be Test-match cricket or one-day cricket. So now being relieved of both captaincies, it has been a strange transition for me personally,” Holder said to ESPNcricinfo.
"It's no longer a time where you've got to look to select teams, look at combinations… all these things have just gone through the window. So for me now, it's just a little bit more detailed as to as to my preparation into myself, particularly, and not having to deal with the team aspect of it."
He conceded being ‘lost for words’ but said that he is moving forward with a mindset to get back into his character being a ‘regular player.’
"It was kind of a shock. Yeah, still lost for words in regards to that, but I am not dwelling on it. I don't think it's something I should dwell on, to be fair. I am just trying to find ways to move on and transition back to just being a regular player. For me now, it's about showing a bit more of my character, and being a lot more… I would say outspoken. I am relatively outspoken, but just expressing myself a little bit more and having fun.
Holder was stripped off from captaincy after he along with several senior players opted out of the tour of West Indies which turned out to be a grand success for the men in maroon under the leadership of Kraigg Brathwaite. Cricket West Indies wasted no time in putting all its weight behind the opener’s leadership after a remarkable series win in Bangladesh and replaced him as the captain of the Test team, ending a nearly six-year run of Holder, who assumed charge in 2015.