18 facts about Michael Holding: The quickest of em’ all

Michael Holding was a giant of the art of fast bowling. His playing style is one the most famed in the cricketing world. It was all intimidation when came to bowling for this legend. His silent approach to the crease, smooth action, and sheer pace generated from the whip of the wrist made the batsman question their abilities. Holding belonged to the golden era of fast bowling in cricket and was part of the fearsome quartet of West Indian pace battery of Andy Roberts, Joel Garner, and Colin Croft which terrorized the best batsmen in the world. Along with such fast bowlers, he devastated batting line-ups throughout the world in the seventies and early eighties. Here are some interesting facts about Michael Holding.

1. Born On:

Michael Anthony Holding was born on February 16, 1954, in Half Way Tree, neighborhood city of Kingston, Jamaica.

2. Early life:

Holding was the youngest of the four childrens to Ralph and Enid Holding. His family was passionate about cricket and only a few days after Michael was born his father enrolled him as a member of Melbourne Cricket Club at Kingston.

3. Overcomes ailment:

At the age of three, Holding was diagnosed with asthma. However, this did not hinder with his health as by his early teenage years could be without his an inhaler. He led an active life, playing sport in the scrubland and wooded areas near his home. Though his family would often watch the cricket at Sabina Park, Holding preferred to play Catchy Shubby Cricket than watch.

4. International Debut:

In late 1975, the West Indies team embarked on a six-Test tour of Australia. Michal Holding was given a place in the team in that tour replacing fast bowler Bernard Julien who was was out of form. Holding made his debut in the first Test of the series and opened the bowling with Andy Roberts. He quickly gained everybody’s attention with his speed and bowled as fast as 97 mph, quicker than Jeff Thomson, Australia’s fastest.

5. The ‘Whispering Death’:

One of the fastest bowlers ever to play Test cricket, he was nicknamed “Whispering Death” by umpires due to his quiet approach to the bowling crease.

6. Unbroken records:

Early in his Test career, in 1976, Holding broke the record for best bowling figures in a Test match by a West Indies bowler, 14 wickets for 149 runs (14/149). The record still stands.

7. A celebrated figure in the Caribbean:

In June 1988, Holding was celebrated on the $2 Jamaican stamp alongside the Barbados Cricket Buckle.

8. Alumni of the University of West Indies:

In 1976, Holding enrolled at the University of the West Indies on a scholarship to study Computer Science. As a profession cricket did not pay well, so Holding was preparing himself for employment off the cricket pitch.

9. The frustrated Holding:

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. West Indies team felt that the umpiring had been incompetent and against them throughout. After an appeal for caught behind was turned down, Holding turned and kicked the stumps in frustration.

10. ‘The greatest over’:

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.

11. Successful partnership with Andy Roberts:

Holding opened the bowling with Andy Roberts in 33 Tests, and the pair claimed 216 wickets at an average of 25.27 runs each, making them one of the most successful new-ball partnerships.

12. Holds the record for most sixes:

Despite modest batting talent, he holds the record for the most sixes in a Test career for any player with fewer than 1,000 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.

13. Incredible accuracy:

Michael Holding has bowled over 900 overs in international cricket and has never conceded a wide.

14. First-Class Career:

During his first-class cricket career, Holding played for Jamaica, Canterbury, Derbyshire, Lancashire and Tasmania.

15. Autobiographies:

Holding has written two autobiographies the first of which, Whispering Death, was published in 1988 before he retired and the second, No Holding Back, over 20 years later in 2010.

16. Life after retirement:

After retiring from cricket, Holding ran a petrol station in Kingston called “Michael Holding’s Service Centre”, employing several people who were members of Melbourne Cricket Club of which he was a member.

17. Successful career in broadcasting:

Holding’s career evolved after his retirement from active play. He had never aspired to become a commentator but his friends with a producer at Radio Jamaica who invited him to comment on cricket. Holding made his transition from radio commentator to television in 1990 when cricket in the Caribbean was broadcast on television around the world for the first time. Later, he became a broadcaster as a member of the Sky Sports cricket commentary team, as well as being a semi-regular member of the Channel 9 cricket commentary team in Australia led by Richie Benaud.

18. Honors:

On Thursday 9 May 2013, Michael Holding received an Honorary Degree and Life Time Achievement Award at the University of East London.