In a not so surprising turn of events, former West Indies Test captain Jason Holder, along with compatriot Kyle Mayers, has chosen to forego the upcoming West Indies Test tour to Australia in January. Despite this decision, Holder emphatically asserts that it does not signify the end of his Test career, citing a strategic move to maximize his earnings and prioritize participation in the T20 format, specifically targeting the T20 World Cup.
Speaking to ESPNcricinfo, Holder explained the rationale behind his decision: "By no means is this me turning my back on Test cricket. It's not curtains for me in Test cricket by any means. It's my first time going through something like this, and I felt that it was necessary to be as honest and as open with CWI as I possibly can. It was a very difficult decision: I just feel as though this is the right cricketing decision for me at this time."
The West Indies team, already grappling with the absence of Shai Hope, now faces the challenge of incorporating seven untested players into the 15-member squad set to confront one of the world's best Test teams in Australia.
Holder highlighted the opportunity presented by participating in the IPL T20 league in the UAE in January, emphasizing the need to give himself the best chance of playing in the T20 World Cup. "I will probably sleep a little bit better knowing that I've given myself the best opportunity to do that," Holder added.
The decision also comes as a consequence of Cricket West Indies' directive, requiring players to make themselves available for both the ongoing series against England and February's T20Is in Australia to be considered for World Cup selection. This compromised Holder's availability for the Big Bash League, and he will miss the end of the ILT20.
Expressing his desire to feature in the T20 World Cup, Holder said, "I've never played a World Cup at home: I really, really want to be a part of it because I love playing in front of the fans in the Caribbean."
As Holder navigates the evolving landscape of international cricket, he acknowledges the increasing prevalence of players prioritizing franchise cricket, stating, "It all depends on what a player wants in terms of his career. It's a profession, and there's a massive window in terms of franchise cricket early in the year."
Holder's decision reflects a calculated move to align with the changing dynamics of the cricketing world, balancing professional considerations and personal aspirations as he sets his sights on the T20 World Cup and maximizes his earnings in the upcoming IPL T20 league.
West Indies grab three late wickets on day one as third Test against England in the balance
England lost three wickets in a dramatic end to day one of the third Test against West Indies, leaving them in a precarious position after restricting the tourists for 282.
Gus Atkinson finished with figures of 4-67, while Chris Woakes took 3-69 for England, as only a fine sixth-wicket stand from Jason Holder and Joshua Da Silva saved West Indies from being bowled out for a much lower total.
But England, chasing a 3-0 series whitewash, let their dominant position slip when taking up the bat for the final 35 minutes, Zak Crawley (18), Ben Duckett (3) and Mark Wood (0) being dispatched as bowler Jayden Seales dropped them to 38-3.
Windies skipper Kraigg Brathwaite won the toss and chose to bat, leading his side to a solid start before a spell of three wickets in five overs before lunch put England on top.
Atkinson accounted for Mikyle Louis (26) and Alick Athanaze (2) on either side of Wood sending stumps flying with a full delivery to dismiss Kirk McKenize for 12.
Brathwaite's knock of 61 was brought to a halt shortly after the action resumed, the captain gloving Wood's leg-side ball to Jamie Smith as the tourists slid from 76-0 to 115-5 in 45 balls.
Holder (59) and Da Silva (49) then shared 108 to drag the Windies towards a respectable total, but things looked bleak for them when the latter feathered Woakes' ball through to Smith.
Having gone 30 overs without a wicket, England needed just 14 more to polish off the tail, the highlight being a terrific diving catch from Joe Root to send Gudakesh Motie (8) packing.
England were given just over half an hour with the bat to cap Friday's action, but any hopes of a serene finish were soon dashed.
Holder made two terrific catches off Seales' bowling, the first from Crawley's thick outside edge and the second to dismiss Wood for a duck, either side of Alzarri Joseph's cracking delivery accounting for Duckett.
That spell ensured what had been a good day for the hosts ended on a sour note, with the Windies sure to target quick wickets when the action resumes on Saturday.
Data Debrief: Atkinson and Seales dominate
This series began with all the focus on James Anderson as England's greatest-ever bowler bowed out at Lord's, but Atkinson has taken centre-stage since making his Test debut in the opening match and now has 20 wickets through five innings.
That is eight more than West Indies' Jayden Seales, the next-most prolific bowler in this series, has managed.
Seales was determined to have an impact on day one, though, and his two wickets at the death have set the stage for a far more competitive match than those England won at Lord's and Trent Bridge.
Usyk sends Fury warning as he dismisses 'too easy' comments
Oleksandr Usyk issued a warning to Tyson Fury, urging him not to be "afraid" ahead of their highly anticipated rematch in December.
Usyk became the first undisputed heavyweight since Lennox Lewis in May following his split-decision win over Fury, ending the Gypsy King's unbeaten record.
Fury insisted that while he thought he won the fight, the only reason Usyk had been able to deliver a late onslaught was that he was "enjoying it too much and messing around".
"Oh my god, no way! Okay, no problem. The next fight will be easy [for him too]," Usyk told Sky Sports in response to Fury's comments.
"For me, my fight will be hard because Tyson Fury is a big man, a good boxer, with a good boxing IQ.
"But if Tyson says for him it will be easy, ok, no problem. I see for Tyson Fury, I see for the eyes of Tyson Fury, it's not easy. It will be hard, very, very hard.
"Tyson, don't be afraid - I will not leave you alone."
Fury had started the contest in the ascendency, landing an uppercut to the chin of Usyk which staggered the Ukrainian in the sixth round.
However, Usyk showed his powers of recovery once again, unloading on Fury with a flurry of punches that forced a knockdown in round nine.
Referee Mark Nelson stepped in to give Fury a count as he stumbled across the ring with just the ropes keeping him upright, managing to survive the full 12 rounds.
"For me, it doesn't matter," Usyk said on the officiating in Saudi Arabia. "Every referee, it's a professional guy.
"The referee does his job. Maybe my last punch would be dangerous for Tyson Fury. It's good.
"Tyson has a big family, I have a big family. Listen, we win. Everything is ok. I do not think about the referee after the fight. We win, thank god, all good, everything is ok.
"A lot of people say, 'Oh the referee took your knockout win' and say 'Referee bad'. I think no, the referee is good. It's just talking. Blah blah blah."
Windies players register positive moves on ICC Test rankings despite crushing defeats to England
Despite two crushing defeats to England so far in their ongoing ICC Test Championship three-match series, West Indies players remain on the up, at least where the ICC Men’s Test rankings are concerned.
Captain Kraigg Brathwaite leads the charge on the batting ranking, as he moved up two slots to 40th position, following scores of 48 and 47 in the second Test, which West Indies lost by 241 runs. They lost the first Test by an innings and 114 runs and will try to avoid a whitewash in the final Test in Edgbaston starting on Friday.
Wicketkeeper/batsman Joshua de Silva was rewarded for his first innings score of 82 in that match, as he jumped seven places to 61st, while Jason Holder’s 27 and 37 saw him inched up two places to 70th. Kavem Hodge’s 120, which was his maiden Test century, pushed him into the top 80.
The Dominican batsman moved 21 places up to 75th, one spot behind Kyle Mayers, who, despite being out of action, remains in 74th. Alick Athanaze held firm in 77th, while discarded Jermaine Blackwood (50th), Tagenarine Chanderpaul (83rd), Roston Chase (86th), and Kirk McKenzie (100) are the other Caribbean batsmen in the top 100.
On the bowling chart, new-ball bowlers Alzarri Joseph and Jayden Seales made the only notable improvements to their rankings. Joseph moved up two places to 33rd after finishing with five wickets in the match, and Seales moved up 10 places from 44th to 34th with six wickets.
Meanwhile, England batter Harry Brook has achieved a career-best third position after notching a century in the second Test.
Brook, who scored 36 and 109 in Nottingham, advanced four places, while his teammates Ben Duckett and Ollie Pope have also made significant gains in the latest weekly update to the men’s rankings, which are carried out on Wednesdays across formats.
Left-handed opener Duckett has progressed six places to 16th position after notching scores of 71 and 76, while Player of the Match Pope has advanced from 29th to 21st with scores of 121 and 51.
Chris Woakes is back into the top 20 of the bowling rankings for the first time since September 2021, after he finished with four for 84 and two for 28 in the match, while spinner Shoaib Bashir has advanced 18 slots to 53rd position after he took his third five-wicket haul in just his fifth Test.
In the ICC World Test Championship standings, England are placed in sixth place, while West Indies are ninth, as per the percentage points that determine qualification.
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