West Indies all-rounder Jason Holder has retired from one-day international cricket, with head coach Darren Sammy insisting the veteran campaigner should remain in Test selection.
Holder’s retirement was revealed in a special episode of The Scoop Extended, when Sammy was asked about the 33-year-old’s future with the national side.
The all-rounder played his last ODI against Scotland during the 2023 ICC Men’s Cricket World Cup qualifiers, ending West Indies’ hopes of reaching the tournament.
The former captain has not played Test cricket since the home series against South Africa in August 2024, focusing mostly on franchise cricket while continuing to represent the West Indies in T20 Internationals.
However, Sammy confirmed that Holder remains committed to the team’s plans for the longer format.
“Yes, Jason is still in the mix for Tests. I know he has retired from ODI cricket,” Sammy said.
“He has spoken about his interest, but obviously he is also a franchise. So it is a discussion about his availability and where he fits in. But he has made it clear that he is still interested in Test cricket.”
Holder ended his ODI career with 159 wickets in 138 matches at an average of 36.96, including two five-wicket hauls. With the bat, he amassed 2,237 runs at an average of 24.85, recording 12 fifties.
As captain, Holder led the West Indies in 86 ODIs, including the 2015 and 2019 ICC Men’s Cricket World Cups. Under his leadership, the Caribbean team recorded 24 wins, 54 losses, two draws and six draws.
West Indies last appeared in the 2019 ODI World Cup under Holder, failing to qualify for the 2023 edition after a disappointing campaign in the qualifiers.
The Caribbean is aiming for automatic qualification as the 2027 World Cup expands to 14 teams. Hosts South Africa and Zimbabwe have already secured their spots, while the top eight teams in the ICC Men’s ODI Rankings as on 31 March 2027 will qualify directly.
Currently ranked 10th in the ODI rankings, West Indies need to climb at least one place by the cut-off date to qualify automatically.
Sammy acknowledged the challenge ahead but insisted his team’s immediate focus is on winning matches, starting with the ODI series against New Zealand.
Sammy said that he is especially looking forward to this ODI series.
“We know we’re trying to get that qualification spot. It’s a bit tricky right now, but we can only control what’s in front of us. Our job is to win as many matches as possible to reach the cut-off point for automatic qualification.”