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Michael Holding, Legendary #Jamaica and #WestIndies cricketer born 70 years ago today on 16 Feb 1954, in #Kingston. “Whispering Death”; one of the greatest pace bowlers of all times. Part of fearsome pace battery that devastated opposing batting line-ups late 1970s to early 1980s. #WhenWeWereKings
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Michael_Holding

Saw this belatedly. All the best to the great man. Had the pleasure of meeting him some years ago, we had a great chat about up and coming Windies quicks.

Holding was without ANY doubt, one of the best fast bowlers ever to grace the game.

Hope that you had great day Mikey!!! And many more to come.

Michael Anthony Holding (born 16 February 1954 in Kingston, Jamaica) is a former West Indian cricketer, and nowadays a commentator on the game. One of the quickest bowlers ever to play Test cricket, he was nicknamed "Whispering Death" by umpires due to his quiet approach to the bowling crease. Holding was an outstanding athlete as a teenager and used skills acquired from running 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' 3½") 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, a member of the Sky Sports cricket commentary team. During his first-class cricket career, Holding played for Jamaica, Canterbury, Derbyshire, Lancashire and Tasmania.

In reply to Slipfeeler
A great human being and my friend

As a kid I heard about Holding and his cricket exploits - him and others. For many years I held him in great awe.

Then he became a commentator. There he distinguished himself as well.

Alas, he wasn't one of my cricketing icon. The positions he took and philosophies he held were in direct contrast with mine, both within and outside of cricket.

Holding and Chris Gayle are two WI cricketers I greatly admired until it was not purely their performances on field. The enigma that is CH Gayle has many detractors throughout the region now.

BC Lara was not angel. To this day despite his many misgivings I have always loved this hero. This guy unlike the other two understand the position he holds in West Indian folklore and so till now has been less than overtly controversial.

Great as he is we know, his heart will still with WI cricket evident by the fact that he shed tears as a few wannabe West Indians defeated the great Australia.


With this I say happy belated 70th birthday to Michael Holding.

Happy birthday Mikey Holding, aka Whispering Death!

In reply to Slipfeeler

False! Holding never ran 400m said himself he was a mediocre high jumper. Newman his U19 opening bowling partner and who was as fast, some say faster did
Newman ripped Yard @ The Olympics

Happy Belated Birthday Mikey. Keep on keeping on, and bring us the goods and continue to set we straight.

In reply to Slipfeeler Skites, Mikey & I share the same mikkle name! Keep the pace, you're doing fine.

In reply to InHindsight

What an occasion for you to choose to write quite a bit of BS doused with if but a lil insularity, my word!
I too love Lara but for sure neither Gayle nor Holding never in the middle of a potential WI embarrassment
ever had a note sent out to them to hold the innings together and sent a reply that no one can tell them how
to bat.

In reply to Brerzerk

Sometimes I find you write so much BS yourself and i think it's a rumshop ain't? Anyway it was intentional that I did. Mike Holding I've found to be harsh and misguided in instances he shouldn't have been.

You still haven't gotten over the Bravo BS haven't you?

PS

What's this BS about Insularity. I am not a Tit nor a Yardie.

Man now I know you're loco.

Happy Birthday Michael. Wishing you good health and longevity.

In reply to InHindsight

Not being a 'Tit' nor 'Yardie' but being critical of both Gayle and Holding without presenting specific, identifiable reasons just proves my point.
I, a 'Yardie' have criticized Gayle on specific points most of all the misogyny towards the female journalist in Antigua. To use the occasion of
Holding's Birthday thread to criticize him only on the basis of difference of opinions is pretty low. To add that Lara is more 'faithful' to WI on the simple
evidence that he cried (he didn't Hooper did) without evidence to the contrary that neither Gayle nor Holding cried is very, very, 'small' of you.