Michael Holding

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Michael Holding West Indies (WI)
Batting style	Right hand bat
Bowling type	Right arm fast
	Tests	ODIs
Matches	60	102
Runs scored	910	282
Batting average	13.78	9.09
100s/50s	-/6	-/2
Top score	73	64
Balls bowled	12680	5473
Wickets	249	142
Bowling average	23.68	21.36
5 wickets in innings	13	1
10 wickets in match	2	n/a
Best bowling	8/92	5/26
Catches/stumpings	22/-	30/-
As of 25 January 2006 Source: Cricinfo.com

Michael Anthony Holding (born February 16, 1954) was a West Indian cricketer. He was christened 'Whispering Death' by umpires due to his quiet approach to the bowling crease. He was an outstanding athlete as a teenager and used his skills from the 400 metres on the cricket pitch, with one of the longest and most rhythmic run-ups in world cricket. His bowling was smooth and very quick, and he used his height (6' 3 1/2") to generate large amounts of bounce and zip off the pitch. He was part of the fearsome West Indian pace battery, along with the likes of Joel Garner, Andy Roberts, Sylvester Clarke, Colin Croft and the late Malcolm Marshall that devastated many great batting line-ups in the world throughout the seventies and early eighties.

He was a natural athlete, who in his early days was a middle-distance sprinter. He is now a broadcaster and is a member of the Sky Sports cricket commentary team.

Holding was the bowler in what is often described as "the greatest over in Test history", which he bowled in 1981 in Bridgetown to English batsman Geoff Boycott. The first five balls increased in pace, causing Boycott to have to react very rapidly to avoid being hit. The final ball saw Boycott clean bowled, to the great delight of the crowd.^[1]

Holding is often referred to as part of one of the best-known moments of cricket commentary (although it may be apocryphal). During a Test match between the West Indies and England, Holding was to bowl to English player Peter Willey. The commentator at the time, Brian Johnston, is alleged to have described the action, quite accurately, as "The bowler's Holding, the batsman's Willey"^[2]. This would have been a large double entendre as the word "willy" is English slang for a penis.

A less amusing incident for which Holding is also remembered was kicking over the stumps in anger at an umpiring decision in New Zealand in 1979/80. The tour had gone sour almost from the beginning: West Indies had just finished a long tour of Australia, and were perhaps resentful about having a tour to unglamourous New Zealand immediately afterwards (their leading batsman of the time, Viv Richards, refused to tour). West Indies felt that the umpiring had been incompetent and against them throughout. It should be noted, though, that others countered that perhaps West Indies were also embittered at failing to adjust to the local conditions, which are sharply different in terms of climate and pitches to those found in Australia or the West Indies, hence lowly fancied New Zealand seam bowlers (and the great Richard Hadlee who was just making his mark as a truly world class bowler) embarrassed the formidable West Indian batting line-up. After one decision by the West Indian bete noir, umpire Fred Goodall, Holding turned and sent the stumps flying with a kick that would not disgrace a rugby fullback attempting a penalty kick. It was captured on film, and remains an enduring image of a less than savoury event for world cricket.

Currently, Holding is one of the more respected cricket commentators in the world. His distinctive, smooth Caribbean burr and his droll observations have proved popular wherever he is heard. Speculation is rife that he suffers from some degree of ophthalmopathy as he is always seen, indoors and out, with his dark-shaded glasses on, with a secure strap around his neck. Most notably, Holding spoke out against the inclusion of so called "minnows" at the 2007 Cricket World Cup, believing only the top associate nation should qualify (Scotland). However, he was made to eat his words as Ireland recorded an historic maiden World Cup victory over Pakistan to send the Asian side home in the first round for the second successive World Cup.

Despite modest batting talent he batted with exuberance. He holds the record for the most sixes in a Test career for any player with fewer than 1000 career runs. He hit 36 sixes in his Test career, placing him at 32 in the all-time list. Remarkably almost a quarter of his Test runs came by way of sixes.

[edit] External links

1. ^ http://content-ind.cricinfo.com/ci/content/story/144327.html
2. ^ http://content-usa.cricinfo.com/england/content/player/15526.html

• Greatest over in Test History at Cricinfo
• Picture taken after THAT over
• Video and Holding's analysis of THAT over