Jamaica Test: Hold the momentum once achieved, Holder tells teammates

Kingston [West Indies], Apr 21 (ANI): West Indies skipper Jason Holder has called on his teammates to carry on with the momentum which they gained against Pakistan in the final Test of their previous Test series in UAE, into the opening Test of the return three-Test series beginning at Sabina Park in Jamaica on Friday. Speaking at a press conference on the eve of the first Test, Holder said in order to achieve a positive result, his team has to follow through on the potential they showed at the end of their UAE tour. "For me just stressing consistency," ESPNcricinfo quoted Holder as saying. "One thing we've spoken about in the dressing room is momentum and if we have the momentum, we need to hold it as long as possible and not shift it back to the Pakistanis. For us it's just to get runs on the board in the first innings and our bowlers will support us in the field," he added. The 25-year-old didn't had the kind of start one would like to have to his stint as a captain. He was winless in his first 11 Tests in charge - but finally earned a gritty victory at Sharjah by five wickets last November and is hoping to bring that winning spirit into Kingston. However, against Pakistan, history has been on West Indies' side. They have never lost a Test series at home to Pakistan, hosting them seven times previously with four series wins. There have been three drawn series, including each of Pakistan's last two visits when the teams split twin two-Test series. Holder also said that he had asked for a pitch for the first Test at Sabina Park that will assist his fast bowlers and is pleased at what he saw when the covers were off during training. "It's similar to what we asked for," Holder said. "We asked for some pitches now with some grass and some life in them. Hopefully our faster bowlers can get the ball in the right area and extract whatever there is on the surface. For us, we just need to be consistent," he added. Pakistan won both the T20 and One-Day International series earlier in the tour and are brimming with confidence to tackle the West Indies. They would also like to give a befitting farewell to veterans Misbah-ul-Haq and Younis Khan, who have announced to retire after the three-Test series. WI squad: Jason Holder (capt), Devendra Bishoo, Jermaine Blackwood, Kraigg Brathwaite, Roston Chase, Miguel Cummins, Shane Dowrich (wk), Shannon Gabriel, Shimron Hetmyer, Shai Hope, Alzarri Joseph, Kieran Powell, Vishaul Singh. Pakistan squad: Misbah-ul-Haq(c), Ahmed Shehzad, Azhar Ali, Shan Masood, Babar Azam, Younis Khan, Asad Shafiq, Sarfraz Ahmed, Usman Salahuddin, Yasir Shah, Shadab Khan, Mohammad Asghar, Mohammad Amir, Wahab Riaz, Hasan Ali, Mohammad Abbas. (ANI)