37 Facts About Michael Holding

Michael Anthony Holding was born on 16 February 1954 and is a Jamaican former cricketer and commentator who played for the West Indies cricket team.

Michael Holding was part of the fearsome West Indian pace bowling battery, together with Andy Roberts, Joel Garner, Colin Croft, Wayne Daniel, Malcolm Marshall and Sylvester Clarke, that devastated opposing batting line-ups throughout the world in the late seventies and early eighties.

Early in his Test career, in 1976, Michael Holding broke the record for best bowling figures in a Test match by a West Indies bowler, 14 wickets for 149 runs.

In September 2021, Michael Holding announced his retirement from being a commentator.

Michael Holding was born on 16 February 1954, the youngest of four children to Ralph and Enid Holding who lived in Half Way Tree, Kingston.

The family was passionate about sport, and only a few years after Michael Holding was born his father enrolled him as a member of Melbourne Cricket Club in Kingston.

Michael Holding led an active life, playing sport in the scrubland and wooded areas near his home.

Fast bowler Bernard Julien was out of form and his place in the team was given to debutant Michael Holding who opened the bowling with Andy Roberts.

Michael Holding picked up a groin strain in the second Test and bowled as fast as 97 miles per hour, quicker than Jeff Thomson, Australia's fastest bowler.

The defeat by Australia had left Andy Roberts exhausted, so he was rested for the matches against India and Michael Holding took over as leader of the West Indies bowling attack.

The West Indies toured England in 1976, and though Michael Holding was largely unknown in the country, the British press noted his performance in Australia and there was a sense of anticipation about his bowling.

Amiss was a veteran player and was likely to open for England in the forthcoming Tests and seeing him struggle against Michael Holding's pace was a warning of things to come.

Players would be paid much more than they had been before, and with his earnings from the series Michael Holding was able to buy his first car and later a house.

Michael Holding suffered a recurrence of his shoulder injury and so missed the series, but otherwise the West Indies began the series at full strength.

Michael 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, a highly experienced player who was considered to be somewhat reluctant to face very fast bowling.

In 1984, batting with Viv Richards, Michael Holding set the record for the highest 10th wicket partnership in ODI history.

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

Michael Holding hit 36 sixes in his Test career, placing him at 32 in the all-time list.

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

The business was initially successful, though Michael Holding found it stressful.

Michael Holding considered taking up umpiring, though not as a profession, and considered pursuing qualifications to umpire in domestic matches in Jamaica but his time was taken up with managing the petrol station and broadcasting.

Michael Holding had never aspired to becoming a commentator but was friends with a producer at Radio Jamaica who invited him to comment on cricket.

Michael 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.

Two local commentators were chosen and Michael Holding was picked alongside Tony Cozier at the latter's recommendation.

Michael Holding became a broadcaster as a member of the Sky Sports cricket commentary team, as well as being a regular member of the SuperSport cricket commentary team in South Africa.

The ICC created the Bowling Action Review Committee in 1999, and on the recommendation of the WICB, Michael Holding was one of the founding members of the committee.

Michael Holding joined the committee and though he was initially optimistic quit in July 2008 in protest against the ICC's decision to overturn the result of the Oval Test between Pakistan and England, which was changed from a forfeit by Pakistan to a draw.

The forfeiture was later reinstated, and Michael Holding resolved not to rejoin the committee.

Michael Holding criticized the West Indies Cricket Board for being too soft by allowing West Indian players to play the IPL, and giving them NOCs with ease.

Michael Holding accused the BCCI for having too much power, and believed they were the main reason for the decline of the West Indies team as they promoted the IPL, and they were dictating the ICC.

Michael Holding has stated that it is very difficult for West Indies cricket to return to the top in Test cricket because of T20 and its financial lure to the region's best players.

In July 2020, during a rain delay in the England v West Indies Test series, Michael Holding was asked on Sky Sports by Ian Ward for his thoughts on the pre-match kneeling of both teams in respect of the Black Lives Matter movement.

Michael Holding's widely reported comments on his personal experience of, and his views on, institutionalised racism were widely welcomed as moving, sincere and eloquently constructive.

Michael Holding is married to Laurie-Ann Holding, an indigenous Antiguan; they have no children together.

Michael Holding has fathered three other children from three other relationships, including a daughter Melinda, born in 1979, and another daughter, Tiana, in 1988, both of whom have Jamaican mothers.

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

In May 2013, Michael Holding received an Honorary Degree and Lifetime Achievement Award at the University of East London.