Holder defends Gabriels swipe
Tue, May 16, '17
ROSEAU, Dominica – Captain Jason Holder has sprung to the defence of Shannon Gabriel, whose late rush of blood resulted in a series defeat to Pakistan on the final day of the decisive third Test yesterday.
With West Indies battling to save the match late in the evening, number 11 Gabriel survived just over half hour at the crease in a last wicket stand with century-maker Roston Chase, to frustrate the Pakistanis.
But with just one ball left to negotiate in the penultimate over of the day, Gabriel suffered a rush of blood, missed a swipe at leg-spinner Yasir Shah and was bowled for four, to hand the hosts a 101-run loss and a 2-1 defeat in the three-Test series.
Shannon Gabriel’s swipe and West Indies batting generally, ensured Misbah ul-Haq (waving flag) and Younis Khan (waving) created history in their final game for Pakistan.
“We’ve just got to give him encouragement. Up until then, he was doing an outstanding job, he’s done an outstanding job for us in this entire series,” Holder told reporters.
“He’s bowled his heart out. He’s gotten a match-winning haul for us in Barbados (second Test), he bowled his heart out in Jamaica (first Test), he bowled his heart out here in Dominica.”
He continued: “A lot of people don’t know where Shannon came from. Shannon started cricket quite late and to see the progress he’s made. I’ve been able to be with him in the HPC (High Performance Centre) and coming into international cricket, Shannon has made tremendous strides.
