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HAS WHAT IT TAKES: Jason Holder is looking forward to playing English county cricket

JASON HOLDER will fulfil a dream when he plays for English county Northamptonshire just weeks before the World Cup this summer.

Holder, the world’s no.1 allrounder according to the International Cricket Council’s (ICC) rankings, is the man of the moment having guided the West Indies to a recent impressive 2-1 Test series win against England in the Caribbean.

AVAILABLE

Barbados-born Holder will be available for the first two County Championship matches and the first six Royal London One-Day Cup games.

The 27-year-old expressed his delight at being able to play in England ahead of this year’s World Cup when he said: “England is somewhere I’ve wanted to play for a long time and I’m looking forward to the experience of county cricket and testing myself in the different conditions.

“Northamptonshire has a reputation of being a good club to be a part of, with a tight-knit squad and coaches who want to get the best out of their players.

“I’m hopeful, from a personal point, that it will provide me a good opportunity of acclimatising to English conditions and getting some time in the middle ahead of the World Cup in England, and I’m grateful to Northamptonshire for the opportunity which I am really looking forward to.”

APPROVAL

The move is subject to Cricket West Indies’ no objection certificate (NOC) approval.

The Windies had previously asked for control over Holder’s workload before they sanctioned a proposed early-season stint as Northants’ overseas player.

Cricket West Indies had told the club that they will only grant a NOC if they agree to terms that limit his bowling and include occasional matches in which he plays exclusively as a batsman.

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