West Indies captain Jason Holder believes that his side can climb to the top of the ICC Test team rankings, having achieved a series victory over England.

The visitors entered the three-match series on a run of five consecutive Test wins, but have endured a difficult time in the Caribbean, succumbing to two large defeats at the hands of the West Indies. Holder, who rose to the top of the ICC Test all-rounder rankings after his Man-of-the-Match performance in the first Test, has played a key role in his side’s success across both matches.

Holder will be available for Northants’ first two County Championship games as well as six Royal London One-Day Cup fixtures. https://t.co/7VK3YJGn6S

— Wisden (@WisdenCricket) February 7, 2019

In the first Test at Bridgetown, Holder hit an unbeaten 202 from No.8 in the batting order, while in Antigua, he took five wickets to help the West Indies to their first Test series win over England since 2009.

Speaking to Sky Sports, Holder claimed that the West Indies have the potential to become the No.1 ranked side in the world.

“I feel we can go to the very top,” said Holder. “If you look at the ages of the guys in this team, we are very young and if we can continue in this vein over the next two or three years I don’t see why we can’t be No 1.”

After a phenomenal 2018 and a more than decent start to 2019 in Barbados, Jason Holder is showing the world that he’s one of the best all-rounders going.@Phil_Wisden spoke to him in an wide-ranging interview before the current series got under way.https://t.co/SdwSgFldN3

— Wisden (@WisdenCricket) January 25, 2019

“It will take a lot of hard work and we need to be honest about where we are and where we need to be. If we plot a clear path as a unit and individuals, nothing is stopping us from being the No. 1 in the world.”

Holder also claimed that England have been left “surprised” by the West Indies’ performances. The home side went into the first Test in Barbados having ended 2018 with a 2-0 series defeat away to Bangladesh, although without the help of Holder who was injured.

“I think the entire England side has been a bit surprised, more so with the consistency we have played with,” added Holder.

“Before we succumbed to pressure – you felt that if you bogged down the West Indies team as a batting unit, you may be able to get under their skin and get wickets, so what we have spoken about a lot is not having wickets fall in clusters.”

Holder will be unavailable for the final Test of the series, set to begin on Saturday in St Lucia, having received a one-match suspension due to West Indies’ slow over-rate in the Antigua Test. Kraigg Brathwaite will lead the side in his absence.