Jason Holder questions the rationale behind not having overseas umpires
Jason Holder, the skipper of the West Indies test team has raised questions over the rationale behind not having overseas umpires. West Indies lost the two match test series to New Zealand by a score line of 2-0. The visitors were outplayed in every department of the game in both test matches.
Although, Jason Holder did not have any issue with the umpiring in particular in the test series against New Zealand, yet he does not understand why overseas umpires cannot officiate the matches. Local umpires officiated both the test matches in the New Zealand-West Indies series.
“I don’t understand a situation where we’re having home umpires,” Holder said. “If we can travel and do a quarantine, I don’t see why an opposing (team) umpire can’t do the travel and quarantine. If players are making the sacrifice and go on the road and continue cricket then I feel as though the umpires should do the same. If it’s a case where you get a home and an opposing umpire to do a Test match then I think that’s fair.”
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A busy schedule for Jason Holder
West Indies were one of the first teams to play an overseas tour post the lockdown. Jason Holder and co. travelled to England for a three match test series. Holder has moved from one bio-secure bubble to another ever since, playing the Carribbean Premier League, Indian Premier League.
“Man, it’s tough. It was a tough year,” said Holder. “Credit to every individual who would have sacrificed their health and the risk of travelling around the world in this pandemic.”
“It has been a tough year. Not just for the team but I know for me personally it has been tough. I haven’t seen home in six months now. I have been going non-stop. We have had pay cuts. It is a situation where you are still looking to make a living, still looking to make use of every opportunity you get,” he said. “But, having said that, going from bubble to bubble and being isolated into a room – sometimes, as I have said before, the room just gets smaller and smaller by the second.”
“I know a few of the guys have got tired minds. We’ve been on the road for a little while. It would be good for the guys to get home for Christmas, spend some time with their families; hopefully, some of them get there in time for Christmas, because I think you’ve got to do a quarantine, some players have to do a quarantine going back home. It will be a much-needed rest for some players to just refresh and come back,” he added.
Even after such an exhausting schedule, Jason Holder is not heading home. He will join the Sydney Sixers, led by Daniel Hughes currently, in the Big Bash League where he will play three matches. He will then head to Bangladesh, where West Indies are scheduled to play a multi-format tour in January.
“We have got a short turnaround. I head over to the Big Bash after this and then we’ve got a tour of Bangladesh in early January. Not much time in between, but we will see how it goes,” Holder said. “At this point, I really don’t know (When he will be home). But I am still enjoying it. Still enjoying moving around. I am trying to make use of every opportunity I get and hope it works out for me.”