Retires from broadcasting.

Will be a big miss, brings a touch of class every time he speaks.

Love the story of Holding first appearing in the Lancashire League in late April at Nelson, freezing cold and conditions were difficult for him.
After a couple of inauspicious and fruitless overs, a lone voice rang out..."Oh, for goodness sake, gerra proper bahler on !"

evensteadiereddie wrote: ↑

Thu Sep 16, 2021 8:25 am

Love the story of Holding first appearing in the Lancashire League in late April at Nelson, freezing cold and conditions were difficult for him.
After a couple of inauspicious and fruitless overs, a lone voice rang out..."Oh, for goodness sake, gerra proper bahler on !"

Had I been batting, I might have been heard shouting back "shut your f*****g mouth"

Class as a player, class as a commentator. As a bowler he had one of the most natural actions, used to glide to the crease and then unleash hell on batsmen. Whispering death a very apt nickname. He provides tremendous insight into the game as a commentator and as you rightly say he will leave a big hole in the Sky team. Wishing him a happy and healthy retirement.

The Windies used to churn out great quickies for fun at one time.
He was up there amongst the best.
Great on the coms too.
Have a long, happy retirement, MH.

"The bowlers Holding the batmans Willie"

As well as a great bowler, he is a fabulous person. I was scorer for Burnley CC when we played Rishton and I was sat outside the dressing rooms whilst the players were getting changed, I looked up and Michael Holding was walking towards me, held out his hand and said 'I'm Michael, How are you doing?' I just shook his hand and was completely awestruck. What a man. I'll certainly miss his voice on test commentary.

Whispering Death - among the finest opening bowlers I've ever seen. That run up and action were as it would say in a coaching manuel, so smooth was it, for that I put him alongside, but above, Wes Hall & Dennis Lillee.

As good as any of the West Indian quicks, probably sharing top billing with the brilliant Malcolm Marshall.

Unlike Paulclaret, I've never met him. I saw him live playing for both the West Indies and for Rishton though.

I'll really miss him in the commentary box. Besides having the most wonderful voice for broadcasting, his every word is worth listening to. A real loss to the Sky team.

Just Watching Michael Holding & Malcolm Marshall run up to bowl was a thing of beauty.

Steve1956 wrote: ↑

Thu Sep 16, 2021 9:25 am

Just Watching Michael Holding & Malcolm Marshall run up to bowl was a thing of beauty.

Not if you were on strike it wasn't!

Buxtonclaret wrote: ↑

Thu Sep 16, 2021 8:50 am

The Windies used to churn out great quickies for fun at one time...

I got into a conversation with some cricket coaches in Antigua a few years back who unanimously blamed basketball for slowing/ending that steady stream of WIndies fast bowlers coming through:
If you're an athletic 2m/6'6"+ lad in the Caribbean Islands nowadays, you can potentially earn far more money as even a second rate basketball player in the USA than you will as a cricketer and even if you don't live up to your promise and make it to the professional leagues, you'll will still have got yourself a free US high school/university education and possibly a US residency permit whilst you were there trying.

Steve1956 wrote: ↑

Thu Sep 16, 2021 9:25 am

Just Watching Michael Holding & Malcolm Marshall run up to bowl was a thing of beauty.

I was at Old Trafford on the day in 1976 when they bowled us out for 71. I've just looked it up to confirm but he took 5/17 in 15 overs that day. He was so quick I hardly saw the ball from my seat. It was an amazing performance. Greenidge & Richards both murdering us by close of play too, but Holding was the lasting memory.

Voluntarily retired or pushed out? I know he's been vocal in his condemnation of the 20/20 and presumably 100 cricket formats; perhaps not the sort of thing that Sky want to hear from their presenters?

AfloatinClaret wrote: ↑

Thu Sep 16, 2021 9:39 am

Voluntarily retired or pushed out? I know he's been vocal in his condemnation of the 20/20 and presumably 100 cricket formats; perhaps not the sort of thing that Sky want to hear from their presenters?

I would say voluntarily reading the reports. I think his stance on 20/20 is respected by most folk in the game. I also imagine he would say if it wasn't his decision.

When i first moved to London in the late 90s, we often found ourselves in the pub next to work on a Friday evening after work. I was talking to one of the admin team and mentioned that i used to play cricket in Burnley, not a very good standard but as with all things i gave 100% and enjoyed the sport. She said i may know her brother in law then. Doubt it I replied, I haven't played since i left Burnley so don't think i would. Oh you may have hear of him. Desmond Haynes is his name...... Desmond Haynes as in West Indian opening batsman? Opened with Gordon Greenidge and regularly used to destroy England? That's him, he is married to my sister.

A few weeks later, after the usual Friday drinks Patsy stayed over at ours as she was not fit to drive home. The following morning the phone rings. I answer it and this voice with a Caribbean lilt asks to speak to me. When i confirm, he says hi, this is Desmond Haynes speaking. I was a bot lost for words, what do you say when that happens. I only spoke to him for a couple of minutes then handed the phone to Patsy, who had obviously set the whole thing up.

Micheal Holding made his Lancashire League debut for Rishton v Ramsbottom. I was scoring for Rammy. NW news tv cameras in the scorebox looking over our shoulders.

Rammy spoiling the party by winning. One of my best mates and fellow Claret, got the wicket of Holding.

I met Holding at the MCG a couple of years ago. We sat and chatted about his time in Lancashire. A real gentleman, great commentator.

A real gent and he will be missed! Came to Moorhead School in Accrington when I was there and spent a long time with us all talking about cricket and doing a bit of coaching… what a day! Didn’t totally realise what an honour it was at the time.

We were blessed and fortunate to see all the top class international cricketers “proing” on our doorsteps in the Lancs League and Central Lancs League. Important part of growing up and developing our love of the game of cricket. To Mikey and all of them, very many thanks!

Supreme bowler and a wonderful voice as commentator.
Thank you Mr Holding.

ClaretTony wrote: ↑

Thu Sep 16, 2021 9:39 am

... Greenidge & Richards both murdering us by close of play too...

Never mind Michael Holding, Gordon Greenidge bowled more than fast enough for me!
We were hanging out on Baga/Calangute beaches in Goa at the beginning of 1988 and quite a few of the West Indies side were in one of the fancy hotels nearby, having just finished a series against India - I never saw any of the games. There was an almost constant beach cricket game going on and GG, Desmond Haynes and one or two others regularly joined in for twenty minutes or so; I particularly remember and will always appreciate Clyde Butts, he changed me from being a moderate (some would say ****-poor) medium paced bowler into a very useful (at a social cricket level) spin bowler in only about 3/4 hour.

2nd best bowler Rishton have had after tybfc

What a bowler! In many ways the most ‘perfect’ and natural fast bowler of the great West Indian quicks. Some moved it more (eg Roberts and Marshall), some got more bounce (eg Garner and Ambrose), some had more raw power (eg Patterson and Daniel) but Holding was just a superb, graceful bowling machine.

Played against him, got a run off his bowling, leg glance down to fine leg. No fielders in front of the bat! Didn't get me out though......

I met him in the betting tent at Old Trafford a few years ago and bored him with the tale, he said he remembered the game and recalled my innings and it was like bowling against a brick wall. I think. I had had a few.

AfloatinClaret wrote: ↑

Thu Sep 16, 2021 9:31 am

I got into a conversation with some cricket coaches in Antigua a few years back who unanimously blamed basketball for slowing/ending that steady stream of WIndies fast bowlers coming through:
If you're an athletic 2m/6'6"+ lad in the Caribbean Islands nowadays, you can potentially earn far more money as even a second rate basketball player in the USA than you will as a cricketer and even if you don't live up to your promise and make it to the professional leagues, you'll will still have got yourself a free US high school/university education and possibly a US residency permit whilst you were there trying.

Read something similar, a few years back now, in an article on the demise of West Indies cricket.
I personally think Test cricket is much the poorer because of it.