For Jason Holder, the former West Indies captain, seeing Barbados-born Jacob Bethell picked for England leaves a ‘bittersweet’ feeling.
Bethell is part of England’s squad for their white-ball tour of the Caribbean (which starts on Thursday, live on TNT Sports in the UK) and as Mail Sport revealed earlier this week, the 21-year-old is part of the touring party for the Test series against New Zealand.
‘I met Jacob (Bethell) at the airport during the U19 World Cup in 2022,’ says Holder, who is also from Barbados.
‘I’d heard of him and then I first saw him play on Brian Lara’s Instagram page. He must have been about 12 or 13 years old. He was very small but Brian talked him up to be special and you can see that because he looks at home on the international circuit.
'It’s no surprise to see England backing him with their mantra and hopefully he grabs the opportunity and makes the most of it. Moments like this - we’ve had Chris Jordan, Jofra Archer and now Bethell - leave kind of a bittersweet feeling because we’re losing great cricketers to England but also I'm happy for them because they're playing international cricket.’
Archer's Return & Test Ambitions
And Holder stressed that Archer, who is part of England’s squad for the three ODIs and five T20Is, is still keen to play Test cricket for England, despite injuries. The 29-year-old last played a Test match in 2021.
‘Jofra’s body will tell him what he can and can’t do. He’s a cricket nut. He loves the game but his body is the only thing that can tell him. Either way, it’s good to have him fit for sure,’ the 32-year-old said.
The Fiery West Indies Rivalry
England’s Test team have not won a series in the Caribbean since 2004, while the white-ball side have lost each of their last three series and Holder insists that West Indies feel ‘no fear’ whenever England tour.
‘There’s no fear for sure - an England series is always a big series for us and whenever you do well against England, it’s recognised around the world. Of course, the English public travels and supports well and we love playing in front of massive crowds. Historically, it’s always been a great rivalry and a great spectacle and a really good chance to shine,' Holder added.
The Clash of Titans
England will be led during the ODI leg of the tour by Liam Livingstone, with Jos Buttler continuing his recovery following a calf injury that has kept him out since July. Buttler hopes to return for the T20 series, which begins on November 9.
Tune in to England's tour of the West Indies, starting with the first ODI live on TNT Sports 1 from 5.30pm on 31st October.
