20-20 World Cup: Jason Holder joins West Indies as replacement for Obed McCoy

All-rounder Jason Holder has been added to the West Indies squad for the 20-20 World Cup. The former skipper will replace Obed McCoy in the squad who has been ruled out of the tournament owing to a shin injury he sustained in West Indies first game against England. Holder joined the squad after the technical committee approved Holder’s inclusion in the 15-man squad.

“The defending T20 World champions asked to replace Obed McCoy in their squad for the remainder of the tournament after the bowler was diagnosed with an injury to his right leg. “And an ICC Event Technical Committee made up of Chris Tetley (Head of Events, Chair), Clive Hitchcock (ICC Senior Cricket Operations Manager), Rahul Dravid and Dhiraj Malhotra (BCCI Representatives), Simon Doull and Ian Bishop (Independent Members) approved the change on Wednesday 27 October, allowing Jason Holder to join the 15,” ICC said in a statement on Thursday.

Obed’s injury can be a blessing in disguise for West Indies and Holder is a valuable cricketer that adds a lot of depth to the team. He has been in the UAE for a while owing to the IPL and was one of the positives for Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH) in a rather gloomy season. The pacer picked up 16 wickets in addition to scoring 85 runs in eight outings.

West Indies chief selector Roger Harper is thrilled to have got Holder onboard for the remainder of the tournament. He feels the all-rounder will be a good fit due in the team due to his vast amount of experience and sound knowledge of the game. “Jason Holder has been in the UAE for a while now and will fit quite well into the team unit. He is an experienced and knowledgeable cricketer who we know will be eager and excited to grab the opportunity.”