England's Caribbean Tour a 'Massive Boost' for West Indies Cricket

Jason Holder, the former West Indies captain, has hailed England's third white-ball tour of the Caribbean in as many years as a "massive boost" to the survival of his team as an international force. Holder believes that the tour is a way for England to repay the debt they owe to the West Indies for helping to save the finances of English cricket during the Covid-19 pandemic.

In 2020, the West Indies squad led by Holder played three Tests behind closed doors in Manchester and Southampton at the height of the Covid outbreak. This tour helped to mitigate the ECB's losses during the pandemic, which could have been upwards of £380 million had their entire summer schedule been cancelled.

Holder believes that England have been fulfilling their side of the bargain by touring the Caribbean so frequently. "It's a fair way of putting it," Holder told ESPNcricinfo. "We've obviously had the English coming over for the last three years consecutively. And that has definitely boosted, not only our economy within the Caribbean, but it adds a massive boost to our survival in international cricket."

Despite the financial disparities between the two boards, the Caribbean has been a particularly tough destination for England teams in recent years. The Test team hasn't won a series in the region since 2004, while the white-ball squads have lost each of the last three series: 3-2 in the T20Is in both 2022 and 2023, and 2-1 in their last ODI campaign in December last year.

Holder is looking forward to the contest, which he believes will be keenly contested as both teams are in a transitionary phase. "England have obviously got a point to prove, and they'll be trying a few different combinations to see what works. And likewise, with West Indies, we've got a lot of youngsters within our cohort, and it is important for them to just gain experience, gain confidence and gain knowledge. I think these series will go a long way to developing our base at a rapid rate."

One of the most exciting young players in the West Indies squad is 17-year-old Jewel Andrew, who made his ODI debut in their most recent match against Sri Lanka. Holder believes that Andrew has a bright future ahead of him. "He definitely stood up. He looks a very easy-going player. He's got time, and any top-order batter who shows signs of having time is promising."

Holder himself hasn't been involved in West Indies' white-ball set-up since pulling out of their T20 World Cup plans through injury in June. He will instead be a studio pundit for TNT in the UK throughout the eight-match tour.

Looking back on the T20 World Cup, in which England's Super Eights victory in St Lucia proved critical to West Indies' hopes of reaching the last four, Holder acknowledged it had been a missed opportunity for a strong squad to do something special in front of their home fans. But, with players such as Evin Lewis and Shimron Hetmyer set to face England in the coming campaign, he's confident there will be other chances for this team to compete for global trophies in the coming years.

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