England series an oasis for cricket
Holding feels confinement of players will not be a problem during tour
The upcoming Test series between the West Indies and England, scheduled to be held in a bio-secure environment in July, will be like a ‘‘oasis for cricket,’’ according to former Caribbean pace legend Michael Holding.
“It’s some sort of a start. The England and Wales Cricket Board has worked hard for it,” the 66-year-old Holding, who will be travelling to England as a TV pundit for Sky Sports, told his YouTube channel.
Asked if the ‘containment’ would be too much a stifling affair for the travelling players, Holding disagreed: “I am not sure if confinement of the players is going to be a problem as all around the world, so many people are being confined in their small apartments. The players, who will be kept in the same floor of their hotel, will be tested to be free of the virus and they can move into each other’s rooms for a chat or may be play cards or Dominoes.
“Yes, the things they will not be able to do are stepping out for a dinner or a nightclub or do some shopping. However, it’s a short tour of 21 days and should not pose much of a problem,’’ he said.
Inconsistent form
The West Indies, despite their inconsistent form in the five-day format, had really acquitted themselves well during the last two series against England — winning 2-1 at home last year while they lost by the same margin during their tour of England in 2017. “They didn’t do badly during the tour of 2017 and at least 7075% of the squad this time are the same,” Holding said, pausing to add that they will miss batsmen like Darren Bravo and Shimron Hetmyer though, who along with all-rounder Keemo Paul, opted out of the series because of Covid-19 fears.
“I think it’s unfortunate as far as West Indies cricket is concerned,” he said.