MUMBAI, India — West Indies all-rounder Jason Holder etched his name into cricket history on Saturday, becoming the first West Indian to claim 100 wickets in all three international formats.
The 34-year-old Barbadian reached the milestone by dismissing Scotland captain Richie Berrington at deep point during the West Indies’ 35-run victory in their ICC Men’s T20 World Cup opener.
Holder now boasts 162 wickets in 69 Tests, 159 wickets in 138 ODIs, and 101 T20I wickets in 90 matches, a testament to his longevity, adaptability, and consistent excellence across formats.
“I never dreamed of this moment”
In a candid interview on Monday, Holder reflected on the significance of the achievement, acknowledging both his personal satisfaction and the role of his teammates in helping him reach the milestone.
“For me personally, 100 wickets in this format is a blessing to be fair. I guess at the start of my career I wouldn’t have imagined this moment, being the first to take 100 wickets in each format of the game, but I take it as it comes,” Holder said.
“I’m very, very happy and I thank my teammates over the years, and hopefully I can get a few more.”
Victory first, milestone second
Despite his historic feat, Holder emphasized that team success came first, underscoring the importance of securing two points in the opening game.
“First and foremost, to get two points on the board was key. It was a very crucial game for us to start the campaign really well. Credit to the boys, we played a really good game,” he said.
Holder highlighted the resilience of the team during critical phases.
“I think we were challenged at certain stages of the game, and we came through in those tough situations, which are strong signs for the team going forward,” he noted.
Eyes on England, focus on consistency
With a pivotal Group C clash against England set for Wednesday, Holder stressed that consistency would be crucial as the tournament progresses.
“I think we ticked a lot of boxes in the first game. We keep challenging ourselves in each department and we all know we can improve as we go on in this tournament,” he said.
The all-rounder singled out fielding as an area needing urgent improvement.
“But for me, just be consistent; consistent with our attitude, consistent with our bowling and also consistent with batting as well. We’ve definitely got to touch up in the field; we’ve been letting ourselves down and dropping a few chances so that’s an area we can definitely improve on as well too,” Holder explained.
“All in all, I’m really happy with how we started, and I just think for us it’s really important to continue to build.”
