Bristol: Hopes are pinned on a born-again West Indies to relive their glory days but skipper Jason Holder has said that the upcoming World Cup is ‘a case of creating our own legacy’.
Windies have a proud history at the World Cup, winning the first two editions of the tournament and making the final of the third. After struggling for nearly two decades, a few stunning wins against England recently lifted their spirits.
“Not personally,” Holder told the ICC when asked if he feels pressurised to re-establish their dominance, adding that is it is just a case of creating our own legacy.
“We obviously know our history what the past players have done. We will take it stage by stage, step by step, not get too far ahead of ourselves,” pointed out Holder.
The presence of big players such as Andre Russell and Chris Gayle have helped, acknowledged the 27-year-old skipper. “Guys like Andre Russell, Gayle make it easy for me, they tend to give a lot of support. I can’t thank them enough for the support they have given me, I know they continue to rally behind me. It’s important for us to continue to build as a group. It’s a relatively young side and we have got one or two experienced heads and it’s a good mix,” said Holder.
Holder has rated hosts England as the favourites in the showpiece. “England are the No.1 side in the world for good reason, you now they are playing some very good cricket, lot of hype around them, they have obviously got the home advantage. I got to give them respect being the top side side in the world,” asserted the Windies skipper.
“It’s a dream,” opener Evin Lewis was quoted as saying by the International Cricket Council’s website when asked about the prospect of West Indies lifting the title.
“Everyone will be glad to be playing in the World Cup. When we won the T20 World Cup in 2016, it was a great feeling, just looking forward to the 50 overs World Cup this year. Hopefully, we can get over the line,” added Lewis.
PTI