Brian Lara hails Holder’s appointment as Test captain

Legendary former West Indies batsman Brian Lara has thrown his full backing behind newly appointed Test skipper Jason Holder.

Lara, himself a former captain, said here on Monday the way Holder handled the one-day captaincy during this year’s World Cup proved that he possessed the mettle to deal with the challenges of the Test captaincy, reports CMC.

“I think it’s an excellent choice. I saw the young man while working during the World Cup in Australia,” Lara said.

“And the pressure that he came under, personally with his bowling and even as a captain, and the way he handled it. He’s very eloquent and big in stature and he reminds me of another version of a Clive Lloyd.”

Holder’s elevation, first as one-day captain last December and more recently in the Test format, has drawn criticism in some quarters because of his relative inexperience. The Barbadian seamer is the second youngest ever Windies Test captain at 23 and has played just eight Tests and 33 One-Day Internationals.