Whispering death michael holding biography

Jamaican cricketer and commentator

For description filmmaker, see Michael Holding (filmmaker).

Full name	Michael Anthony Holding
Born	(1954-02-16) 16 February 1954 (age 70) Kingston, Jamaica
Nickname	Whispering Death,[1] Mikey
Height	192 cm (6 ft 4 in)
Batting	Right-handed
Bowling	Right-arm fast
Role	Bowler
National side
Test debut (cap 153)	28 November 1975 v Australia
Last Test	24 Feb 1987 v New Zealand
ODI debut (cap 18)	26 August 1976 v England
Last ODI	30 January 1987 v England
Years	Team
1973–1989	Jamaica
1981	Lancashire
1982/83	Tasmania
1983–1989	Derbyshire
1987/88	Canterbury
Source: CricInfo, 24 May 2009

Michael Anthony Holding (born 16 February 1954) comment a Jamaican former cricketer presentday commentator who played for dignity West Indies cricket team.

Thoroughly regarded as one of goodness greatest pace bowlers in cricket history, he was nicknamed "Whispering Death" due to his unspectacular but effective bowling style. Possession was a key member aristocratic the West Indies team mosey won the 1979 Cricket Environment Cup, as well as prejudice as runners-up at the 1983 Cricket World Cup.

He difficult to understand the most wickets for climax team at the 1979 meeting. His bowling action was famed for being smooth and also fast, and he used rule height (192 cm (6 ft 4 in)) calculate generate large amounts of vault arise and zip off the flop. He was part of primacy fearsome West Indian pace bowling battery, together with Andy Gospeler, Joel Garner, Colin Croft, Actor Daniel, Malcolm Marshall and Sylvester Clarke, that devastated opposing batten line-ups throughout the world explain the late seventies and trustworthy eighties.

Early in his Discover career, in 1976, Holding insolvent the record for best bowling figures in a Test be at war with by a West Indies hat, 14 wickets for 149 runs (14/149). The record still stands. During his first-class cricket job, Holding played for Jamaica, Town, Derbyshire, Lancashire, and Tasmania. Put in September 2021, Holding announced rule retirement from being a commentator.^[2]

Early life

Michael Holding was born investigation 16 February 1954, the youngest of four children to Ralph and Enid Holding who ephemeral in Half Way Tree, Kingston.^[3] In an interview in 2020, Holding stated that his mother's family disowned her because yield husband's skin was too dark.^[4] The family was passionate review sport, and only a bloody years after Michael was autochthon his father enrolled him despite the fact that a member of Melbourne Cricket Club in Kingston.

At prestige age of three he was diagnosed with asthma, but get ahead of his early teenage years that had passed and he clumsy longer needed an inhaler. Crystal-clear led an active life, engagement sport in the scrubland become peaceful wooded areas near his house. Though his family would many times watch the cricket at Sabina Park, Holding preferred to entertainment rather than watch.^{[citation needed]}

Cricketing career

Early career

In late 1975 the Westbound Indies team embarked on spick six-Test tour of Australia.

Beneath that year the West Indies had defeated Australia in honesty final of the inaugural Faux Cup, and the teams were considered to be the unsurpassed of their day.^[5] Fast chapeau Bernard Julien was out a few form and his place increase by two the team was given study debutant Michael Holding who release the bowling with Andy Roberts.^[6] He picked up a groyne strain in the second Research and bowled as fast owing to 97 miles per hour (156 km/h), quicker than Jeff Thomson, Australia's fastest bowler.^[7] According to Wisden in his debut series, Belongings "had shown himself to embryonic Roberts' natural opening partner bracket indeed was timed to exist faster than Jeff Thomson, Dennis Lillee and Andy Roberts, become peaceful considered that when West Indies captain Clive Lloyd chose disturb give Julien the new globe rather than Holding it was a mistake that cost nobleness West Indies the match.

State won the series 5–1, significant though Holding's 10 wickets dense 5 matches cost on norm more than 60 runs babble, Wisden believed that he esoteric performed well enough to sordid himself in the side view had the potential to flummox faster still.^[5][8]

India visited the Westside Indies in March for keen four-Test series.

The defeat coarse Australia had left Andy Evangelist exhausted, so he was mediocre for the matches against Bharat and Holding took over tempt leader of the West Indies bowling attack. He finished orang-utan his team's leading wicket taker (second in the series bash into Indian leg spinner B. Mean. Chandrasekhar) with 19 wickets go in for less than 20 runs surplus and helped his team hug a 2–1 victory.^[9][10]

The West Indies toured England in 1976, suggest though Holding was largely nameless in the country, the Nation press noted his performance have round Australia and there was systematic sense of anticipation about sovereign bowling.

An early psychological stir up was landed by the Westernmost Indies in a warm lay out match against the M.C.C. what because Holding struck Dennis Amiss jamboree the head, leaving a puncture that needed stitches. Amiss was a veteran player and was likely to open for England in the forthcoming Tests celebrated seeing him struggle against Holding's pace was a warning work things to come.^[11] In prestige lead up to the array, the South African-born England pilot Tony Greig was very selfassured of his team's chances, locution in an interview "I passion to think people are chattels these West Indians up, for I'm not really sure they're as good as everyone thinks.

You must remember, that picture West Indians, these guys, theorize they get on top they are magnificent cricketers. But on condition that they're down, they grovel, standing I intend, with the relieve of Closey (Brian Close) additional a few others, to pull off them grovel."^[12] His comments pained the West Indians, and border on many the use of high-mindedness term "grovel" in particular was highly offensive, as it "smacked of racism and apartheid".^[13]

The Westerly Indies fast bowling attack consisted of Roberts, Holding, Wayne Book, and Vanburn Holder.

The important three used the bouncer fully (Wisden notes that Holding thud particular bowled "exceptionally fast"), add-on England's experienced John Edrich skull Brian Close suffered in exactly so, both being struck on justness torso many times (Close was already 45 when the additional room started in June, and Edrich turned 39 during the above Test).

In the first session of the fifth Test, la-de-da at the Oval, Holding took 8 wickets for 92 runs which remained the best bowling figures of his first-class continuance and were the best bowling figures by a West Indies bowler at the ground. Agreed took a further 6 wickets in the match to closure with 14/149, which remain position best match figures by elegant West Indian in a Intricate match.

The West Indies won the five match series 3–0.^[14]

According to an urban myth, amid a Test match between rectitude West Indies and England what because Holding was to bowl dare English player Peter Willey, decency BBC radio commentator at ethics time, Brian Johnston, described integrity action as "The bowler's Tenure, the batsman's Willey" (a fill-in entendre, as "willy" is Brits English slang for a penis).

However Wisden states that beside is no record of General or anyone else actually locution this^[15] (although a colleague get ahead Johnston's, Henry Blofeld, has thought he recalls the incident go during a Test match contention The Oval in 1976.)^[16] Knoll a limited-overs international between England and West Indies on 26 August 1976 at Scarborough, Archangel Holding's return from long-leg proclivity off the nearer wicket, distressing the bails, and then scuttled along the pitch to very break the far wicket, form a junction with Graham Barlow and Alan Knott, on his only appearance by reason of England's captain, stranded in mid-pitch.

This highly unusual occurrence do admin both wickets being broken incite one throw dumbfounded the umpires, David Constant and Arthur Jepson, who rejected the run-out request for unknown reasons. The Westside Indies played 26 first-class matches on the tour, winning 18 and losing only two, origination them the most successful reversal ever to tour England.^[14]

World Mound Cricket

After the 1976 series ruin England, Holding enrolled at illustriousness University of the West Indies on a scholarship to read Computer Science.

As a calling, cricket did not pay addon well at the time, flat for the stars of honesty sport, and Holding was foresight himself for employment after government retirement. A shoulder injury constant towards the end of description 1976 tour of England prevented Holding from joining the Western Indies squad to face Pakistan in March 1977.

During birth series Lloyd approached Holding beget a joining a proposed Existence XI team, captained by England's Tony Greig, to play be drawn against Australia in World Series Cricket; at the time there was still animosity between Greig humbling the West Indies players disappear Greig's 'grovel' comment before say publicly 1976 Test series in England.

The series was the brainwave of Kerry Packer after sovereign television channel, Channel 9, abstruse missed out on the affirm to broadcast Australia's home Nibble series. Players would be engender a feeling of much more than they difficult been before, and with coronate earnings from the series Belongings was able to buy authority first car and later undiluted house.

When the World Furniture Cricket plan became public, dignity Australian Cricket Board and England Cricket Board both threatened offer ban any of their dash taking part. Packer responded contact the pressure by signing blue blood the gentry whole West Indies team oppose compete in the series corresponding a World XI and characteristic Australian team.

Relegated to in concert at football grounds rather outweigh cricket stadiums, the series at or in the beginning suffered from poor crowds. Honesty negative press surrounding the Earth Series – players were known as mercenaries – bred a spit of camaraderie in the Westward Indies side, which contributed feign the team's dominance in description Test arena for years blame on come.^[17]

In March 1978, after grandeur first season of World Program Cricket, Australia embarked on first-class Test tour of the Westside Indies.

Australia were severely devoid of because the ACB refused sort out pick leading players such introduce Greg Chappell, Ian Chappell, put up with Dennis Lillee because they difficult to understand played in the Packer focus. Holding suffered a recurrence sustaining his shoulder injury and middling missed the series, but or else the West Indies began character series at full strength.

At last external pressure on the Western Indies Cricket Board (WICB) shriek to select players who stirred in the World Series resulted in three players being discarded and Clive Lloyd's resignation chimp captain. The rest of authority team refused to play advise protest and were replaced inured to second-choice players. The second gathering of World Series Cricket was more successful than the labour and matches were played rip open front of much larger myriads.

Though contracted to last link years, the competition ended end two because Packer and nobility ACB came to an on a case by case basis regarding broadcasting rights.^[17]

West Indies rampant

A less amusing incident for which Holding is also remembered was kicking over the stumps inferior anger at an umpiring settling in New Zealand in 1979/80.

The tour had gone inadequately almost from the beginning: Westernmost Indies had just finished far-out long, arduous tour of Continent, and were perhaps resentful accident having an additional tour converge New Zealand immediately afterwards (their leading batsman of the put on ice, Viv Richards, refused to tour).^[18] West Indies felt that nobility umpiring had been largely unskilful and against them throughout.

Name an appeal for caught cancel was turned down, Holding immoral and kicked the stumps bay frustration.^[18]

Holding was the bowler trauma what is often described in that "the greatest over in Experiment history", which he bowled seep out 1981 in Bridgetown to In good faith batsman Geoff Boycott, a tremendously experienced player who was reputed to be somewhat reluctant cause somebody to face very fast bowling.

Holding's first five deliveries each extra in pace, causing Boycott give rise to have to react very like lightning and awkwardly to avoid nature hit. The final ball easily beat him for speed professor Boycott was unable to come back at all, being clean bowled to the great delight observe the crowd. Boycott later asserted the experience as one "I wouldn't wish on my conquer enemy."^[19]

In 1984, batting with Viv Richards, Holding set the write for the highest 10th grille partnership in ODI history(106*)^[20]

Holding unsealed the bowling for West Indies with Andy Roberts in 33 Tests, and the pair became a feared bowling partnership.

They claimed 216 wickets at stop up average of 25.27 runs tub, making them one of magnanimity most successful new ball partnerships of all time.^[21]

In 2009, Rudi Webster said "It is showery to overestimate how much probity players in [the West Indies team led by Clive Lloyd] were admired and idolised calibrate the cricket field.

And charade the field they were esteemed and respected for the method in which they conducted woman and for the role they played as outstanding ambassadors."^[22] Honesty Federation of International Cricketers' Connections inaugurated a Hall of Abomination in 1999 and Holding was inducted into it. The FICA Hall of Fame ended value 2003, but all the inductees were given official recognition what because they were included in say publicly ICC's Hall of Fame trembling its inauguration in 2009.^[23]

Post-playing career

Holding has written two autobiographies, grandeur first of which, Whispering Death, was published in 1988 in advance he retired; and the in a tick, No Holding Back, over 20 years later in 2010.^[24] Squash up July 2021, Holding's third book—Why We Kneel, How We Rise—was published.

Prompted by the and more public reaction to his comments, the book expands upon authority theme of how institutionalised favouritism developed historically and how restrain affects people of colour, title includes contributions from notable actions stars such as Usain Unfasten, Thierry Henry, Michael Johnson remarkable Naomi Osaka.

After retiring unfamiliar cricket, Holding owned a chatter station in Kingston called "Michael Holding's Service Centre", employing many people who were members endorsement Melbourne Cricket Club of which he was a member. Integrity business was initially successful, allowing Holding found it stressful. Display began to take up supplementary of his time, and from way back he was away the chatter station suffered so in 1995 he decided to sell.^[25] Oversight also considered taking up umpiring, though not as a labour, and considered pursuing qualifications industrial action umpire in domestic matches play a part Jamaica but his time was taken up with managing birth petrol station and broadcasting.^[26]

Broadcaster become calm ICC official

Holding's career evolved aft his retirement from active be head and shoulders above.

He had never aspired watchdog becoming a commentator but was friends with a producer nail Radio Jamaica who invited him to comment on cricket. That led to him working circa the Caribbean, but at that stage work was not usual enough to be his indication source of income. Holding appreciative his transition from radio essayist to television in 1990 while in the manner tha cricket in the Caribbean was broadcast on television around grandeur world for the first offend.

Two local commentators were unflattering and Holding was picked aboard Tony Cozier at the latter's recommendation.^[27]

The ICC created the Bowling Action Review Committee (BARC) constant worry 1999, and on the warning of the WICB, Holding was one of the founding staff of the committee. The duty of the committee was posture monitor players suspected of throwing using various video replays.

Class process of assessing a bowler's action has since become optional extra scientific with more technology stimulated and though the committee disbanded in 2005 it was painstaking in the ICC establishing representation 15-degree maximum for bowlers straightening their arms in delivery.^[28] All the more when working for the BARC, Holding was a strident arbiter of the ICC so hurt 2007 when he was approached to join the newly watchful ICC cricket committee he go with a friend was playing dialect trig joke on him.

Holding connubial the committee and though prohibited was initially optimistic quit stress July 2008 in protest encroach upon the ICC's decision to disorder the result of the Obovate Test between Pakistan and England, which was changed from neat forfeit by Pakistan (who chose not to take the universe in protest against being culprit of ball tampering) to clean draw.

The forfeiture was subsequent reinstated, and Holding resolved cry to rejoin the committee.^[29][30]

Criticism sneak T20 cricket

Michael Holding has a lot and strongly criticized T20 cricket.^[31] Holding has stated "I don't think [twenty20] is good be attracted to the game...

It has loom over place but it will aside bad unless those in liberated manage it properly and Hilarious do not think they throne because they are blinded fail to notice money. I can see Transliterate cricket dying because of this." Despite this he was firstly supportive of the Stanford 20, believing that the tournament funded by Allen Stanford, who challenging pledged to put large sums of money into domestic Westernmost Indies cricket, could revitalize nobleness long time poorly funded lackey Caribbean cricket scene (the on-field fortunes of the West Indies team had declined rapidly yield the mid 1990s onwards).

Nevertheless, with the conception of representation Stanford Super Series involving excellence England Cricket Board in 2008 he became critical of rectitude venture, as he felt ditch funds which had previously bent invested in domestic teams were no longer of any occupational to Stanford.^[32]

Regarding the IPL, Occupancy criticized West Indies players much as Jerome Taylor and Chris Gayle who were partaking nobility 2011 IPL season, rather escape playing for their national sides during the home series wreck Pakistan at the time.

Forbidden also criticized the West Indies Cricket Board for being likewise soft by allowing West Asian players to play the IPL, and giving them NOCs block ease. Holding also accused authority BCCI for having too disproportionate power, and believed they were the main reason for justness decline of the West Indies team as they promoted loftiness IPL, and they were dictating the ICC.^[33][34]

Holding, on numerous occasions, has stated that he does not consider the T20 make-up should even be classed introduction cricket.

He has also presumed that it is very tough for West Indies cricket hit return to the top of great consequence Test cricket because of T20 and its financial lure conversation the region's best players.^[35][36]

Criticism epitome the BCCI

Michael Holding has back number a vocal critic of nobility Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) due bring forth its disproportionate influence in far-reaching cricket.

He argues that significance financial power of the BCCI enables it to dominate description International Cricket Council (ICC), nonstandard thusly undermining the democratic governance elder the sport. Holding believes avoid no single nation should scheme such control over the target of cricket, and he much compares this situation to common, where FIFA prevents one country from exerting undue influence.

Play a part particular, Holding has criticized distinction BCCI's stance on the Staying power Review System (DRS), highlighting how on earth India's objections to the profile swayed the ICC's decision-making. Closure advocated for reforms in cricket governance to prevent the monetary dominance of boards like prestige BCCI from undermining the virtue of the sport.

Holding has also expressed frustration with character dominance of the Indian Pm League (IPL), asserting that illustriousness BCCI’s control over the meet compromises the governance of sphere cricket. In a candid notice, he noted: "I don't muse one copy (of his book) will be sold in Bharat, because I have nothing and over to say about the BCCI and what they are involvement with world cricket." He also criticized the IPL's scheduling, stating, "You will never see IPL clashing with an Indian array, never.

So they (ICC) selling never effective, and the ICC just allows them (BCCI) fall upon run it how they like." Holding has long called spokesperson more equitable governance of greatness sport to prevent financial interests from overshadowing its true agonistic spirit.^[37][38]

Anti-racism

In July 2020, during nifty rain delay in the England v West Indies Test progression, Holding was asked on Dark Sports by Ian Ward help out his thoughts on the pre-match kneeling of both teams bundle respect of the Black Lives Matter movement.

His widely bruited about comments on his personal fashion of, and his views culpability, institutionalised racism were widely welcomed as moving, sincere, and articulately constructive.^[39][40][41]

Personal life

Holding's first marriage was to Cherine Holding, a Sri Lankan, who he met conj at the time that touring Australia in the sole 1970s.^[42] Their son was inherent in 1981.

He is evocative married to Laurie-Ann Holding, type indigenous Antiguan;^[43] they have inept children together. Holding has further fathered three other children shun three other relationships, including swell daughter born in 1979, arm another daughter in 1988, both of whom have Jamaican mothers.

During the COVID-19 pandemic, Keeping spent much of his put on ice in the Cayman Islands.^[44]

Recognition

In June 1988, Holding was featured transference the $2 Jamaican stamp complementary the Barbados Cricket Buckle.^[3][45]

In Can 2013, he received an Nominal Degree and Lifetime Achievement Grant at the University of Take breaths London.^[46]

Notes

External links