West Indies veteran Jason Holder delivered a match-winning all-round performance to lead his side to a dramatic victory over Pakistan in the second T20I, leveling the three-match series 1-1. Despite recent struggles and a spate of injuries within the squad, Holder remains steadfast in his commitment to West Indies cricket, saying he has a `burning desire to make a change` and continues to love representing his country.
Holder’s heroics were on full display in a tense chase that came down to the final delivery. With six runs needed from two balls and just three wickets in hand, the 33-year-old held his nerve to smash a boundary off the last ball, securing a memorable win for the hosts. He remained unbeaten on 16 off 10 balls, including a crucial four and six under pressure.
Earlier, Holder had starred with the ball, returning career-best figures of 4 for 19 to dismantle Pakistan’s middle order. In doing so, he surpassed Dwayne Bravo to become West Indies’ leading wicket-taker in men’s T20Is, with 81 scalps to his name. He also took two catches, further underlining his impact in all facets of the game.
After a dismal 5-0 whitewash at the hands of Australia at home, and a narrow loss in the first T20I against Pakistan, West Indies were under immense pressure. Their challenges were compounded by a growing injury list, Rovman Powell, Brandon King, Evin Lewis, and Shimron Hetmyer all sidelined, and recent retirements of key players Andre Russell and Nicholas Pooran from international cricket.
Despite the adversity, Holder, who has been part of the international setup for 12 years, amassing nearly 6,000 runs and over 400 wickets across formats, continues to be a beacon of experience and resilience. His recent return from shoulder rehabilitation and his taxing schedule in T20 leagues worldwide haven’t diminished his drive to contribute.
Speaking after the match, on what was his focus, Holder said as quoted by ESPNCricinfo, “Just getting over the line, to be honest. As I said before, it has been a tough couple of weeks for us. We just needed a win. We brought it down to the very end, unfortunately. But fortunately, we still got over the line.”
“I still think there is a lot of work to be done. We have not done justice to our potential over the last couple of weeks, maybe the last couple of years. We have had a fair bit of criticism, which at times is warranted, but we know that winning can be a lot better. We`ve just got to put it together more often than not,” he added.
“I think lack of consistency has definitely plagued us, but we have seen that over the years that we can do it. For me, it is just to have that burning desire to make a change, to make a difference. So I keep putting in my best effort when I get a chance with the West Indies,” he added.
Chasing a target of 134, West Indies looked in all sorts of trouble as they kept losing wickets at regular intervals. At one point, the West Indies were 98/7 in 16.5 overs, but Holder held his nerve in a tense final over and took his team home.
With eight required off the last six balls and two needed off the final delivery, Shaheen Shah Afridi steamed in, but Holder stood tall and cracked him for a boundary to seal the deal for the hosts. They secured a nail-biting win, setting up a series decider on Monday.
(With ANI inputs)
