Manchester: The Test skipper of West Indies Jason Holder on Wednesday insisted that his side should be delighted that their tour of England was not cancelled in the wake of COVID-19 pandemic and they should cherish the opportunity given to them.
England vs West Indies schedule. The opening Test match of three-match series between Windies and England is slated to be played at the Ageas Bowl in Southampton from July 8. The last two matches will be played at Old Trafford.
Jason Holder-led outfit has already reached England and they have been quarantined in the on-site hotel in Manchester. The Test series between England and West Indies will be played behind closed doors.
Talking about the upcoming event, Holder said, "I see so many leagues in jeopardy and the World T20 as well -- so the mere fact we are getting an opportunity to play cricket I think we should cherish that."
"Many organisations are taking pay cuts and we have suddenly got our opportunity now to make some money so we have a lot of things to be thankful for and I think we just have to relish the opportunity and grab it with both hands," he added.
In the wake of COVID-19 pandemic, international cricket was suspended since March 13 and even the fate of the upcoming men's T20 World Cup is uncertain.
The Windies side will stay at Old Trafford for three weeks and then they will be shifted to Southampton. The Windies squad is also asked to restrict their movement between ground and hotel.
When asked, if his unit will be bored due to the travelling restrictions, Holder said, "Guys have different ways of doing it. We've been to some places, for example, in the sub-continent (where) you don’t go outside the hotel too much."
Currently, West Indies have the Wisdom trophy as they had defeated much-fancied England 2-1 in a three-Test series in the Caribbean last year. However, the Windies skipper is not reading too much into that win.
“So many things have changed from then to now, conditions being one of them. To call us favourites would be wrong. England are a higher-ranked side than us and I think they are favourites in their backyard," said Holder.
“There is lots to play for and lots to motivate you as a group. Guys are pumped up for the opportunity and the only sad thing is that we won't be able to play in front of the crowds."
