Senior West Indies pacer Jason Holder has credited his strong bowling form in the ongoing T20 World Cup to becoming less predictable and improving his execution of yorkers.
The 34-year-old, who has taken seven wickets in three matches, played a pivotal role in West Indies’ nine-wicket win over Nepal with impressive figures of 4 for 27.
Holder’s spell helped restrict Nepal to 133 for 8 before the hosts chased down the target with 28 balls to spare, sealing their third straight win and a place in the Super 8s.
“I’m trying to change my angles and not be too predictable,” Holder said at the post-match presentation. “I’ve been varying my position at the crease and looking to execute more yorkers.”
“For me, it’s about being a little more unpredictable and understanding when to change angles against particular batters.”
On his use of round-the-wicket yorkers at the death, Holder said it was something he had consciously worked on.
“It’s something I’ve been practising for a while now. I’m happy I’ve been confident enough in games to go round the wicket at times.”
Holder had earlier taken 3 for 30 against Scotland and also contributed 33 with the bat in the win over England, underlining his all-round value.
Reflecting on the Nepal game, he said conditions were different in the day fixture.
“The ball held up a bit more in the surface early on, and it was harder to hit through the line. We got some movement as well, which was key. I thought our bowlers were tight upfront.”
He reserved special praise for Matthew Forde.
“Credit not just to me but to Matthew as well. He bowled an outstanding spell at the start to set the tone. From there, we were able to adjust.”
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As a senior member of the attack, Holder also emphasised his leadership role.
“One of my key roles is to help the guys, especially under pressure. I try to share whatever information and experience I have. We’ve had good discussions as a group, and that’s helped our planning and preparation.”
Captain Shai Hope, who struck an unbeaten 61 in the chase, was delighted with the result.
“It’s one hurdle crossed,” Hope said. “We wanted to control the flow of runs and keep taking wickets. It’s good to contribute to wins and we’ll look to carry this momentum forward.”
Praising Forde, he added: “He’s been hitting his areas and exploiting movement really well. It was a complete team performance.”
Nepal skipper Rohit Paudel admitted his side’s batting fell short, apart from Dipendra Singh Airee’s fighting 58.
“It was challenging the way Akeal, Forde and Holder bowled in the powerplay,” Paudel said. “As a batting unit, we need to step up. We’re missing partnerships and not stretching our innings.”
“He (Airee) took his time and played really well. We need to learn from him. When results don’t go your way, it’s important to stay positive and block out outside noise.”
