Jason Holder, the leading wicket-taker in T20 cricket in 2025, will play a crucial role as a senior member of the West Indies squad in the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2026 as they chase a third title. Jason Holder looked back at the West Indies’ title win in the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2016 and on his captaincy stint.
Jason Holder recalled his memories of the title win in the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2016:
“That campaign in 2016 was a tough one, particularly at the start. When we arrived, we had issues with clothing, contracts, and it was not ideal going into a World Cup. But slowly and surely, we got things in order and came together. I guess that became our driving force. We wanted to prove a point that things should have been better and in place. We united for that one cause, to prove to people that we were worth it. We wanted to put on a really good show and show people that we are good enough and we should be treated better.”
On his captaincy stint and the challenges of leading a national team at just 23 years of age:
“When I took the captaincy, I never knew it would demand so much from me off the field. When I accepted it, I viewed it more from the perspective of on-field performance and managing the players during games. But to take on the captaincy at that stage and deal with all the off-the-field stuff, including selection and all these different things, was tough. It was really tough for me. However, I do not think I would be the person I am today if I had not gone through that experience. I have no regrets in life about it. But if I had known then what I know now, maybe, I would not have taken it on at that stage. Understanding now what captaincy entails and what it means to lead the nation, I probably would not have taken it on so early in my career.”
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On his motivation to still play for the West Indies:
“When results did not go our way, the only thing we could rely on was getting better and proving people wrong, showing the world that we are not as bad as our last performance. For me, that was a driving force. Another motivation was to leave West Indies cricket in a better place than when I came in and found it. Honestly and sadly, it probably has not gone that way. A lot of the struggles we faced when I first came into West Indies cricket are still there. But that was genuinely my driving force to stay in the dressing room, to change the culture and help drive West Indies cricket in a direction that can only make us better and take us to a better place.”
