Holding’s cricket innings done, but he’s a long way from over and out
To the generation who saw him first as a player, he was the Whispering Death who terrorised batters around the world. To those who did not see him play, he was a fearless and forthright commentator who called it as he saw it. And to the wider public who did not share his passion for cricket, he became a voice against racism.
Thankfully, Michael Holding is still with us, but he has confirmed to the Herald and The Age his days behind the microphone are over. At Holding’s request, there will be no formal announcement from Sky. He does not want the fanfare.
It brings to an end to nearly half a century involved at the top level of the sport. The abandoned Test at Old Trafford between England and India was expected to have been his last. It’s not unusual to see commentators broadcast into their 80s, so Holding, 67, leaves with plenty left in the tank.
It is a mark of Holding as a man that there is nary a person in cricket or the media, two fields that provoke strong opinions and are filled with big egos, with a bad word to say about him.
As a cricketer, Holding was a member of the feared West Indies pace attacks which dominated international cricket. His 249 wickets had him third on the Windies’ all-time Test list when he retired in 1987.
He began his distinguished commentary career the year after, his blunt and no-nonsense style a hit with cricket lovers all around the world.
Such was the frequency in which the Windies toured Australia in the 1980s and 1990s, he became a regular guest commentator on Nine.
Unfortunately, as the Windies waned his presence on Australian screens became limited to overseas Tests in England and South Africa, where he was a member of the Sky Sports and SuperSport teams.
Holding was not afraid to rock the boat of the game’s authorities. He did not call domestic Twenty20 games, describing that format as “rubbish” and “circus entertainment”.
During the 2019 World Cup, he labelled the umpiring “atrocious” in the world commentary feed, drawing a cautionary email from the International Cricket Council. His reply was to denounce the compromise modern commentators are forced to make by sporting bodies, which he likened to censorship.
But it’s his advocacy against racism, and the Black Lives Matter movement, where he has spoken loudest, his message heard well outside the boundaries of the cricket field.
Laying himself bare on the world stage, an emotional Holding detailed his lifelong experience of racism in a powerful monologue on Sky. The segment featuring Holding and former England cricketer Ebony Rainford-Brent, highlighting racial inequality, saw won a prestigious BAFTA award in sport.
He penned a book “Why We Kneel, How We Rise” to spread the message. Sydney AFL great Adam Goodes is a contributor.
Holding was also strident in his criticism of the Australia’s men’s team for not taking a knee during the tour of England last year, prompting coach Justin Langer to acknowledge his team had erred in not giving due discussion to the topic.
They took a knee in the Caribbean this year but Holding wants it to become the norm no matter who or where they play.
“Martin Luther King did not go on one march,” Holding told the Herald and The Age last October. “It is a gesture to show people you care about an issue. It is not a protest. You are signalling your involvement in an issue and that you support the issue that people are fighting for. Simple as that.
“You’re not creating any problems for anyone, you’re not disturbing anyone, you’re not interfering with the game, you’re showing everyone around the world that you’re supporting the cause.”
Holding has no plans for the future but a man with his stature and voice will not be idle. His two innings in cricket are done, but you sense he’s a long way from over and out.
https://www.smh.com.au/sport/cricket/holding-s-cricket-innings-done-but-he-s-a-long-way-from-over-and-out-20210916-p58s5v.html
… the man himself left Windies cricket to play packers circus for 30000 quids
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