Tarouba (Trinidad), Dec 21 (IANS): West Indies’ fast-bowling all-rounder Jason Holder said by opting out of the Test series against Australia, he is not calling time on his career in the longest format of the game.

He also added that his current focus is to prepare well for the 2024 Men’s T20 World Cup on home soil and that he will be back to playing Test cricket once the tournament will be over.

Instead of playing Tests in Australia, where West Indies have picked seven uncapped players, Holder, who recently turned down a central contract, will be playing second edition of the ILT20 in the UAE.

"By no means is this me turning my back on Test cricket. It's not curtains for me in Test cricket by any means. It's my first time going through something like this and I felt that it was necessary to be as honest and as open with CWI as I possibly can. It was a very difficult decision: I just feel as though this is the right cricketing decision for me at this time."

"It was a difficult one. But as much as I love Test cricket, I want to give myself the best chance of playing in that World Cup. I felt it was probably best to prioritise and focus on playing as much T20 cricket leading up to that as possible. I will probably sleep a little bit better knowing that I've given myself the best opportunity to do that."

"I will do everything possible to make myself eligible for those Test series (against England and South Africa after the T20 World Cup) and have spoken to the coach and selectors to reiterate that," Holder was quoted as saying by ESPNCricinfo.

Holder, who recently found no takers in the IPL Auction, has been in action for West Indies during the ongoing T20I series against England. When the Caribbean hosted a major men’s event, it was the 2010 T20 World Cup, where the all-rounder was an 18-year-old. Now, as a senior member of the team, Holder said achieving the goal of playing a global event at home is a priority for him.

"To see it unfold, particularly in Barbados, was a major spectacle for me. I've never played a World Cup at home: I really, really want to be a part of it because I love playing in front of the fans in the Caribbean."

"I think we've really got a good chance of lifting the trophy… the cricket that we've been playing in the last couple of months gives us real encouragement that we can go there and do something special. Why wouldn't I want to give myself the best chance to be a part of it?"

With ILT20 in UAE and SA20 in South Africa, apart from BBL running in, it means that January is now a busy period of playing T20 leagues for many cricketers. "I've been an all-format player for probably the last eight or nine years. If you look at the current scope of the sport in general, it's now a more common trend based on the dynamics of world cricket: everything is constantly evolving."

"There are leagues popping up here, there and everywhere and there are quite a number of options for players. It all depends on what a player wants in terms of his career. It's a profession, and there's a massive window in terms of franchise cricket early in the year."

"The main part of my decision is to prioritise playing as much T20 cricket as I can leading up to the T20 World Cup - and of course, in doing so, there is also the opportunity to maximise your earnings," concluded Holder.