Kraigg Brathwaite, West Indies' newly selected Test captain, has said it's a "privilege" to take over from Jason Holder.
Holder became a captain in 2015 and led West Indies in 37 Tests. He opted out of the recent tour of Bangladesh amid concerns over Covid-19. Brathwaite led the West Indies team to a surprising 2-0 Bangladesh Test series win. CWI gave him the full-time captaincy. The lead selector Roger Harper came in his favor and said he "was able to motivate his players to play to a very high level and create the culture we are looking to establish where the team showed a collective determination to fight and a real hunger for success."
Brathwaite replaced Holder ahead of the two-match Test series against Sri Lanka beginning on March 21 in Antigua. Jason Holder remains a key member of the West Indies Team as one of the world's premier all-rounders. "I just want to thank god for giving me this opportunity, and also want to say I thought Jason Holder did a superb job leading the Test team for the last five years, so taking over from him is a privilege," Brathwaite said. "I was very happy [to be made captain], obviously very proud, and I look forward to the challenge."
For the Bangladesh tour, Brathwaite helped the young players work on their abilities. "Well, I enjoyed that tour," he said. "For me, I just made sure I let the guys know, to believe in themselves and believe in their ability. I've played youth cricket with most of those guys, and if not, first-class cricket for several years, so I know the ability they have. Just assured them that they can do it. Just trust in your plans and believe in them, and prepare well. The word attitude is always key, and I thought we did that well, and we as a team need to continue that same attitude."
Aware of his competition, Brathwaite has been working on his balance against fast bowling for the Sri Lanka series. "The more you're balanced, the better are your shots, and that was something important for me," he said. "I also went about planning even better, in terms of how I want to go about my innings, and topping up on power. But mainly getting my balance in order, and backing yourself. You always have plans, and it's to trust them, that was the key for me. Planning was very important."