No pressure on players, says Holder

LONDON – West Indies skipper Jason Holder says he will not force his teammates to travel to England for a three-Test cricket series delayed by the COVID-19 pandemic.

Cricket West Indies (CWI) chief executive Johnny Grave had said last week that the players would not be coerced to tour the United Kingdom, which has recorded over 243 600 cases and more than 34 000 deaths.

“The first priority is everybody’s safety. Each player has to be comfortable in making the step,” Holder told the BBC.

“It’s been made clear if we are to hop on a plane and go over to England to play, it must be safe . . . I won’t be forcing anyone to go anywhere.”

The UK government has said elite sport can return in June without spectators and the England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB) is looking at hosting the West Indies series in July in “bio-secure” conditions. (Reuters/EZS)

Subscribe now to our eNATION edition.

For the latest stories and breaking news updates download the Nationnews apps for iOS and Android.