'Whispering Death' delivers a chilling verdict - Telegraph 'Whispering Death' delivers a chilling verdict High-five: Malcolm Marshall (left) and Michael Holding By James Mossop 12:01AM BST 25 Jul 2004 They had a bowler known as 'Whispering Death' and their followers produced the mocking 'blackwash' banner as the West Indies came to Lord's on their way to a 5-0 series win. It was 20 years ago. Opening batsman Gordon Greenidge hit double centuries in the second and fourth Tests; strike bowlers Malcolm Marshall, Michael Holding and Joel Garner, were so violently accurate that the doyen of cricket writers, John Woodcock wrote in The Times: "Their pacemen have brought a new, and dare I say it, chilling dimension to the game. Batsmen, however protected, face them at their peril." Their inheritors have been struggling but their batsman, led by vice-captain Shivnarine Chanderpaul, were making a game of it yesterday. Somebody had to because of the way they allowed England to take control on Thursday when the Windies bowled and fielded as a leaderless rabble.

There were times when you could have pulled a better fielding side from the media centre and the hospitality boxes - Sir Viv Richards, Clive Lloyd, Holding (old Whispering Death himself), Ian Bishop, Garner and so on. Related Articles A win for England maybe at a cost 25 Jul 2004 Why is this team, led by an unconventional captain who is a genius with the bat, Brian Lara, below par? Many West Indians agree despite yesterday's batting recovery on a docile wicket. Holding's view: "The West Indies team in the late Seventies and Eighties was abnormal. That doesn't happen with any team on a regular basis. A lot of people are judging the current or even recent West Indies teams on those standards, which is unfair. "The main problem is in our bowling department where there is a lack of talent. There are a few youngsters who, with proper nurturing, could develop into reasonable bowlers although they will not be world beaters. Our next problem is not having a real team in the true sense of the word.

It is frustrating because I know there is a lot of talent out there, especially in the batting department but even that is not consistent." There was sympathy from another former fast bowler, Bishop, who said: "This is a young team. You had [Courtney] Walsh and [Curtly] Ambrose exiting after the last tour in 2000 so in that sense you were left with the remnants of a good team in Brian Lara and Ridley Jacobs with all the other guys trying to make a name for themselves and they have struggled. "I find it frustrating that the talent is not living up to its potential. I know they can be better and follow the great tradition." Tony Cozier, for decades the informed voice of Caribbean cricket in print and as a broadcaster, added: "There are a lot of reasons why the talent hasn't come through. There is talent but they don't have the advantage of playing county cricket as they used to, or even league cricket. "All the great and outstanding players had their final development in English cricket in the leagues or in county cricket. These days a West Indian playing in the Lancashire leagues would be a rarity.

At the moment there are just two in county cricket, Carl Hooper [Lancashire] and Nixon McLean [Somerset], but in the Seventies, Warwickshire had Kanhai, Lance Gibbs and Deryck Murray. Somerset had Viv Richards and Joel Garner. Other counties had one or two Caribbean players. "The majority of players under Clive Lloyd's captaincy would have been involved in county cricket which meant they visited Lord's several times. They knew what to expect. All these bowlers today are playing in their first Test match in England on their first trip to England. "We have become very slack. Our coaching methods are bad at all levels. Our fielding is absolutely abysmal. We set fielding standards in the Seventies. We have lost the work ethic. Maybe it's the overall attitude in the Caribbean at the moment where young people don't want to work. The ethic is not what it should be." Wisden - Whispering Death Whispering Death 1977 home Whispering Death One of the most enduring memories of the 1976 cricket season in England - for the spectators if not for opposing batsmen - was the graceful, rhythmic action of the West Indian fast bowler, Michael Holding.

The speed which he generated from his deceptive approach to the stumps was, on occasions, frightening and, in association with Roberts, Daniel and Holder, proved a decisive factor in the West Indies' resounding triumph. It was a series filled with several outstanding individual feats, but none could quite compare with Holding's in the final Test at The Oval. On a depressingly lifeless pitch, the other fast bowlers of both teams could only take five wickets between them at a cost of 477 runs. Yet the conditions seemed to act as a catalyst which lifted Holding to an extraordinary performance. He proved that nothing could deter bowling of great pace and accuracy by taking eight for 92 in the first innings and six for 57 in the second. No fewer than twelve of his fourteen victims were either bowled or lbw, an accurate reflection of his speed and his consistent line. Of all the great West Indian bowlers of the past, none had equalled this feat of 14 wickets in a Test. Holding's rise from the relative obscurity of Jamaica's Shell Shield team to the forefront of the game's finest fast bowlers was meteoric.

A year before his Oval achievement, he had not played in a Test had not played in a Test and had taken a mere sixteen wickets in three first-class seasons in the Caribbean at the unflattering cost of 51 runs each. Yet his potential has always been undeniable and the West Indies selectors recognised it picking him in the seventeen for the 1975-76 tour of Australia, a choice for which they deserve the greatest credit. Since then, Holding has fulfilled the expectations of everyone who was predicting great things for him from his days at Kingston College in Jamaica. Born in the parish of St. Andrew, in Jamaica, on February 16, 1954, MICHAEL ANTHONY HOLDING was fortunate that his parents were keen sportsmen who encouraged him in all his sporting exploits. His father, Ralph, a building contractor, playing club cricket to a good standard and has been President of the strong Melbourne Club - for which, understandably, his son has played since leaving school. Mr Holding senior was in Australia to watch Michael make his entry into Test cricket an, along with Mrs Holding, witnessed his Oval bowling.

At school, young Holding immediately established his credentials as a natural athlete and he shone both at cricket and athletics. There is a strong tradition in both sports in Jamaica which, apart from its long line of great cricketers, has also produced such famous runners as Arthur Wint, Herb McKenley, George Rhoden and Don Quarrie. Fortunately for West Indian cricket, Holding's sports master at the time, Mr. Trevor Parchment, advised him to concentrate on that game. It was not long before the guidance was bearing fruit. By 1972, he was in Jamaica's team for the annual West Indies youth tournament and the following season came his first class debut. He made a name for himself in that initial year by clean bowling the Australian opening batsman Ian Redpath, cheaply three time sin four meetings. His development, however, was not spectacular. His lean physique found it difficult to cope with the strain of fast bowling and he was troubled by illness and injury. Nevertheless, he was gaining size and pace all the time and, by the 1975 Shield season, confirmed reports from Jamaica that he was the bowler to partner Roberts for the series in Australia.

In some quarters, Holding's selection, as one of five fast bowlers, was a surprising gamble. Even some of his team mates, who had not seen him nor played against him for two years, were astonished by his hostility in the opening game of the tour against a Colts team at Adelaide. When he won a close match against New South Wales almost single-handed by taking six for 60 his place in the Test team was assured. By the team the West Indies won the second Test at Perth by an innings, Holding taking four wickets in the first innings, the Australian wicket-keeper, Rodney Marsh, was speaking of him becoming one of the fastest bowlers of all time. Unluckily, injury ruled him out of the third test and, thereafter, he and his team deteriorated disappointingly. Richie Benaud was of the opinion that he was a better bowler at the start of the tour than he was at the end and thought he was straining too hard for pace and bounce. In the series against India in the Caribbean which immediately followed, Holding took nineteen wickets in four matches and, on occasion, looked a truly great bowler.

On others, however, he was again guilty of bowling too short with a corresponding loss of accuracy. It was a criticism which could have been levelled at him during the first half of the tour of England as well and it was probably a team meeting midway through the third Test at Old Trafford which finally put him right. He and Daniel had unleashed a volley of very fast, very short bowling against the veteran England openers, Edrich and Close, in the final hour and a half's play on the Saturday. Close took a few fearful blows, Holding was warned for intimidation and England closed the day without the loss of a wicket. It was, observed the West Indies manager, Clyde Walcott, bad bowling - and he obviously told Holding so. The effect was immediate. He pitched the ball right up on the Monday with telling success and the lesson was learned. In the subsequent Tests, the bouncer was kept in reserve as a surprise weapon and Holding realized, as have all prosperous fast bowlers, that there is no counter to genuine pace and accuracy. Holding has been an irreplaceable acquisition to the West Indies. Not only has he proved a "lethal" bowler but a useful lower order batsmen and magnificent outfielder as well.

His long, loping strides as he chases the ball make him a joy to watch. In addition, he is an intelligent young man who fits easily into any company. In fact, those meeting him for the first time find it difficult to reconcile the quiet mild-mannered individual they confront off the field with the fiercely competitive sportsman they see on it. His much-publicised display during the Sydney Test of the series against Australia when he wept publicly after having a caught behind dismissal refused by the umpire was indicative of his will to succeed., not of any weakness in character. His hostile bowling against India in the Kingston Test of that series when several batsmen were injured was influenced by the same spirit, not malicious intent. Eminent fast bowlers throughout history have been in great demand and, in this age of jet travel, Holding can ask his price from the clubs of England and Australia, always so anxious to please their members and their sponsors. Already, he has received tempting offers, but he is anxious not to subject himself to the type of labour which could bring a premature end to his career and, so far, he has resisted them.

As a computer programmer with the Jamaican Government, Holding will probably be one of the rare contemporary West Indian cricketers who does not play the game all year round in every part of the globe. Whether that is good news or not for opposing batsmen is debatable. They may confront him less often than they might some other fast bowlers but, when they do, he will be keen and fresh and that, on all evidence to date, is an alarming prospect. - T.C. © John Wisden & Co The Whispering Death (of Cricket) – Re.lexi.fication. The Whispering Death (of Cricket) This picture and caption is from my Facebook notifications this afternoon. [This is] Michael Holding. Actually, Brian Close’s chest, after a Michael Holding delivery crashed into it at Old Trafford, 1976. Holding was called ‘[The] Whispering Death’ as the umpires kept looking over their shoulders to see if he was coming – they couldn’t hear him, he was so fast, so liquid. Fast bowling is on the decline, thanks to TV and betting – the mob would rather see (and bet on) a six from a tailender than a fast bowler running through a team.

And quickies need 5 days to display the depth of their powers, not 20 overs. RIP. There are two things about this picture that I must say. One, Brian Close was in his forties when he faced the terrifying Holding and the rest of the 70’s Windies pace-attack. ‘Forbidding’ doesn’t begin to describe them. Holding his own against them despite a steady battering, is both brave and remarkable, especially for a batsman of Close’s limited capability. Second, images and videos from that era, till about the end of the last decade, appear to me to be subtextual eulogies to the game of cricket, as it was. Those happy days of skill and glory, I am fairly certain, will never be here again, despite higher delivery speeds in a few contemporary fast bowlers. Never, that is, unless one holds the BCCI down by the scruff of its neck, and forces a structure that demands transparency, descipline, technique and talent back into both international national formats of the game. In other words, and to repeat myself, happy days will never be here again.

It’s not that I love the hit-and-miss days of inadequate protective gear and killing pitches without reservation. I’ve never been one for the thrill of the killing fields. Neither am I the mealy-mouthed grinch who wants young cricketers to be deprived of obscenely high remunerations (although I do have a few sharp things to say when public funds are redirected to congratulatory gifts for them). But as someone that money is eventually being made off, I would like to get some bang for my buck. You know? Some actual cricket in my matches. If that isn’t too much to ask for. Tests, I may literally no longer have time for, but I certainly miss the pleasure of watching clever field placements, well-thought-out bowling attacks, and shrewdly-amassed innings that even a decent fifty-overs’ match offers. Twenty20 s, on the other hand, are primarily a great deal of flash and jump at the fringes of the actual game. It is also the most obscene spectacle of blatant flesh-trading I’ve ever seen, and I speak as one who has watched post-election MP-trading in India for years.

Had this hobson-jobsoning amounted to something worthwhile for the audience, I’d have kept shut. Hell, more power to players who can make teams run after them with bundles of cash and incentives, by sheer dint of performance (and a great agent). But the prime function of the Twenty20s, sportswise, appears to be squishing talent and skill out of the young pool, by de-incentivising actual performance over mere inclusion or on-field appearance. And that’s to speak nothing of the betting and fixing. The Popularity Myth Supporters of the format, however, keep telling me not to be such a stick in the mud, because Twenty20 has done the near-impossible. It has brought popularity back to the game. It has made cricket fashionable again. Which is a lovely warm plate of dee-licious tripe. First, as I’ve verbosely underlined above, I’m actively discouraged from considering this form of the game ‘real’ cricket at all, by virtue of its practice of rewarding parody-like playing skills. But one might dismiss this as a subjective opinion. Very well then.

Second, despite the IPL being one of the most valuable sporting franchise in the world, I haven’t noticed global interest in the game spike noticeably since it kicked off. Have you? Weren’t Japan, Spain, Uzbekistan, and China pitching teams for a World Championship event last April? No? Ah, I must be thinking of figure skating . In the ICC World Cup last April, 14 teams qualified. In the 2011 World Figure Skating Championships last April, disrupted by the Tokyo quakes and shifted to Moscow at the last minute, 44 countries competed. And this is a game whose spread is limited by the availability of ice. I rest my case. Or no, hang on, I don’t. Esprit de Corps [or, the Cricket-Zombie] The whole thing about cricket being a gentleman’s game has taken quite a beating since postcol. times, since the conflation of ‘gentleman’ with ‘white man of birth and means’ (or simply ‘white man’ in the settle colonies like Australia and New Zealand) was challenged by teams from the subcontinent and the West Indies. But there was still a certain code to the game, overt racism and Bodylines notwithstanding.

The definition of masculinity was somewhat different. There also wasn’t this degree of access to disposable income and the power of celebrity — and yes, I do keep in mind the feminine personal effects thrown at the 70’s and 80’s stars sometimes, possibly by women (and some men) who hadn’t watched a full day’s match in their lives. Lately, however, manipulating media and the commodities market to let popularity for the game be centred completely on personas and not their cricketing abilities has, to my mind, given rise to rather a dangerous culture of entitled little boys with their own clean-up crews, eager to piss on hoi-polloi who give them so much and demand so little in return. Largely because they can. Although I’m told it’s a rigorous game in it’s own way, the reason I can’t bring myself to like American football, for instance, is because to someone standing outside the culture, it looks exactly like contemporary T20 cricket will look like in half a decade’s time: a bullies coterie of spoilt little boys, hiding behind masses of padding just to play rough rugby on field, and swanning about like frat boys with a party-pass to the whole world beyond it.

Quite apart from the ridiculous immaturity and insecurity it radiates, the layers of physical and legal protection, coupled with artificially-pumped adrenalin and testosterone levels around this new culture of games, take the sporstman spirit right out of it, and makes it a diminished-responsibility chest-thumping arena for mentally lazy shows of arrogance and shallow aggression. It isn’t a pretty picture. And it’s got claws. Whispering Death, Pigeon And Jumbo – Here Are Some Nicknames Of Popular Cricketers - Indiatimes.com Whispering Death, Pigeon And Jumbo – Here Are Some Nicknames Of Popular Cricketers 2.8K SHARES February 16, 2016 2.8K SHARES The game of cricket has seen great players, entertainers and colourful characters grace the field over the years. Some have picked up popular nicknames as their careers have progressed. Here is a look at some of the most popular cricketers along with a few from the current Indian team with nicknames which are famous: 1. Michael Holding - Whispering Death The Windies pacer was known to run in silently and hardly made a sound as he delivered the ball.

Umpire Dickie Bird gave him the name after not being able to hear him come towards the crease before letting loose a quick delivery. AFP 2. Glenn McGrath - Pigeon The Australian fast bowler earned his nickname for being unusually thin throughout his career. His team mates picked the name has he had slim legs which stood out while bowling. AFP 3. Anil Kumble - Jumbo The deliveries Kumble sent down were known to skid off the pitch with a lot of bounce, the speed being associated to that of a jumbo jet. Till his last day on the field, batsmen always had trouble adjusting to the turn due to the extra bounce he generated. AP 4. Steve Waugh - Tugga In a pun on tug of war (Tugga Waugh), this Aussie batsman got his nickname for being a gutsy fighter and a cool customer in a pressure situation. AP 5. Virat Kohli - Cheeku Kohli got his nickname pretty early. His Delhi coach Ajit Chaudhari gave the name because of his spiky hairstyle, which he followed for quite a while. Don't Miss AFP 6.

Sourav Ganguly - Dada The former Indian captain was called 'Dada' as it means elder brother in Bengali. His team mates started to address him using that name and soon the fans caught on as well. TOI 7. Rahul Dravid - The Wall Known for his impeccable defence, Dravid was almost impossible to get out bowled or leg before. Bowlers found it so hard to get him out that the Indian team started to refer to him as the wall. BCCI 8. Shahid Afridi - Boom Boom Afridi has never had the inclination to waste balls when he is out in the middle, regardless of the situation of the match. He goes big or falls trying to do so. Due to his big-hitting attitude fans, experts and team mates started to call him boom boom. AP 9. Ian Botham - Beefy England's legendary all-rounder was handed the nickname due to his frame. He was broadly built and resembled a pack of meat to his team mates and so the name stuck. Mid-Day 10. Mahendra Singh Dhoni - Captain Cool India skipper Mahendra Singh Dhoni is known to show very little emotion and keep his nerves calm.

Also known not to panic under pressure, Dhoni was handed the name 'Captain Cool' by cricket pundits. AFP 11. Shikhar Dhawan - Gabbar This dashing Indian opener got the name of the famous Sholay character after he began sporting a large moustache. Add that to his intimidating presence with the willow at the crease, he certainly does justice to this nickname. BCCI 12. Rohit Sharma - Hitman The only player with two double tons in ODIs got his name tag due to the big scores he has got over the last couple of years. It seems whenever Rohit goes out to bat, he wants to take out the bowlers just like a hitman. AFP Farewell to "whispering death" | Cricket | ESPN Cricinfo Farewell to "whispering death" Share on Facebook Share on Twitter Originally published in the Cricketer, January 1990 As England goes through its soul searching and packs its bags for the Caribbean tour, it might be of some consolation that its batsmen will not have to face Michael Holding this time.

Not that any member of the refanged West Indian pace pincer is to be taken lightly, but encounters with Michael in particular might be better off buried in the annals. In his five Test series against England, Holding captured 96 of his 249 wickets, and in addition produced two of the finest displays of fast bowling prowess. Back in 1974, the year before Clive Lloyd gambled by taking him to Australia, I remember chatting with him at a party in Kingston. On that chilly night in Hope Pastures, there was a mission in his penetrating stare and that baritone voice. "I want to be on that '76 tour to England", he confided. Not totally surprised, I enquired only about his stamina, not technique. "I am lifting weights at Mr. Goldsmith," came the response. I knew then that he was on his way. Indeed, he made that memorable trip, not as the inconspicuous rookie he had envisioned, but with 29 Test wickets from nine appearances. More importantly, he went with a reputation for pace that did not set well with frontline batsmen.

I first stumbled into this prodigy in the summer of 1964 at an unkempt ground just behind his Dunrobin Avenue residence in Kingston. Red Hill Oval as it was called, was more of a sociological garden than a nursery for the future West Indian player, so Michael paid more attention to the daily cross-strata expositions than he did to cricket. However, when called upon to play, the critique was always positive - lively pace, useful bat. Shortly thereafter, he began attending Kingston College High School. Even though the school boasted West Indian caps in J. Cameron, J. K. Holt, Jr., "Collie" Smith and Easton McMorris, cricket at the time was dwarfed by the successes both in track and field and soccer. In track, the school was just embarking on an extended dynasty, while in soccer, the 1964 and 1965 teams were arguably the best in the Caribbean. Michael's success at schoolboy cricket would just have to wait until 1970 when his team went undefeated to island supremacy. It was during my seven years at Kingston College that I saw him in the making.

If I awoke early enough, I could ride with him to school as his father's Chevy station wagon motored down Constant Spring Road. After classes, he seemed perennially to engage me in debates as to the shortest route on foot to cricket practice at the school"s Melbourne Park annexe. Occasionally on a Saturday evening, our paths would again cross on the environs of Maurice"s Restaurant. That was the place to savour a tasty curried goat or a fried chicken then wager the residual at "crown & anchor" - a game of chance. His preparation for the big leagues though, was undoubtedly fashioned at the Melbourne Cricket Club in Kingston. Under the tutelage of some former Jamaican representatives, he moved smoothly through all three levels of club cricket and, in 1973, into the national team. After two inter-territorial seasons, Clive Lloyd had seen enough. Tossing statistics aside, he summoned Holding for the '75-76 sojourn in Australia.

I can remember sharing that elation as his postcard from Brisbane read, "Don"t walk too hard, remember I am down here - Mikey." The tour was statistically unflattering and yet so embryogenic to West Indies' success as we know it today. Holding, understudying Andy Roberts, had to partner raw pace with subtlety in order to dislodge the likes of Redpath and Turner. As he would later put it, "In bowling to the big bats, line-and-length alone is no good. It's the variation that counts." His modesty wouldn't allow him to mention his pace, even though he was bettering the much feared Jeff Thomson at an estimated 97 mph. The next tour "Down Under", was to bring him probably his most satisfying reward - the first Test series win for West Indies there in six tries. In all, he would glean from Australia 73 Test wickets at 23 runs apiece and would leave us with some memorable duels against some eloquent batsmen. A connoisseur of batting technique, he still talks as if it were a great honour to have bowled to the two Chappells.

After the 5-1 drubbing, it was time to regroup against India at home. The humiliation had brought Lloyd's leadership to scrutiny, worse yet when the series came to Kingston still tied. Had West Indies lost that particular match, Lloyd might have been doomed. Well aware of the situation, Michael produced blistering bowling, forcing Bedi to wave in surrender to umpires Gosein and Sang Hue: in the second innings, five of India"s batsmen were "absent hurt." What impressed most though, was the poise. In school I had often "ribbed" him about his batting, only to see him play that nerveless 55 when it mattered. Both Bedi and Chandra, their reputations notwithstanding, must have found his innings a trifle irreverent. As for the job of getting opening batsmen out, to him, India proved most obliging. In the three Test series he played, Holding dislodged Gavaskar on 11 occasions and Gaekward on eight. One of the more memorable outings was at Sabina Park during the First Test in 1982.

Pandemonium broke in the second innings as with his opening delivery, coming over the wicket, Gavaskar's leg stump went cartwheeling. In spite of this success though, India were to inflict a major disappointment in snatching the 1983 World Cup. Like an axe to brush, it seemed so muscled a line-up would topple the 183 India had set. But alas Michael was left to signal the celebration - lbw to Amarnath for six. Nevertheless I will remember the level-headed conversation he entertained after that stunning defeat, a time when other cricketers may have been understandably unapproachable. It's now the summer of 1976 and on to the lush of England - for him the dream had come true. Even before the Duchess of Norfolk welcomed the part to Arundel, tales of his exploits in Kingston had washed ashore. The hosts were already scurrying for some brave men. The series belonged to the West Indies before the Fifth Test began at The Oval. The pitch there was so placid that both sides ledgered double centurions.

This was the setting that Holding chose to generate unbelievable pace to return match winning figures of 14 for 149. The press spewed superlatives. Heroics against England aren't over yet. Five years later the two teams again meet, this time in the Caribbean. It didn't seem that 13 years had passed since we were huddled over radios as Sobers trapped Boycott lbw for 90 in that Third Test in Barbados on the '68 tour. That same batting technocrat, now armour-clad, is still run-ravenous. He makes his way on to the same ground to open against the West Indies for the 46th time. Little does he suspect that the six deliveries he is about to receive from Holding will be dubbed by many as six of the most testing ever bowled. The resident second slip remembered the sequence: "The one that bowled him wasn't as quick, but the first five - good God." By the time England again visited in 1986, signs of Michael's departure were imminent. The left hamstring injury hobbled him in the Kingston Test and yet he limped past his truncated mark to treat the crowd to that patented glide one more time.

He knew for sure it was time to go. While the West Indian captain drew on his victory cigar, Holding begged to be excused from going on to Trinidad but asked to rejoin the tour in Barbados. The West Indies Board, however, publicly chose to dissuade his retirement. Resting him from the next tour to Pakistan, it included him for both the World Series in Australia and the Test series in New Zealand. Every sportsman it seems has a nemesis. From the onset, New Zealand was his. Anxious to return home after the historic win in Australia, the team detoured there to play three Test matches in 1980. Frustration - not entirely unprovoked, elicited his ill-temper in Dunedin. The hosts went on to eke out the series 1-0. With hindsight he might not have allowed himself to be lured back. This man is a true professional and does not pride himself in jobs abandoned. As fate would script it , his fitness failed in the First Test in Wellington in 1987. The 16 Kiwi Test wickets, in the end, cost him 34 runs each, a little more than his usual asking price.

Holding"s career has nevertheless been a remarkable one. It came along on the leading edge of the West Indies" newly found professionalism and enhanced pecuniary reward. In that same era, the territory's cricket weathered trying times as it ruddered through the Kerry Packer schism and South Africa"s tainted lucre lure, to emerge stronger. Clayton Goodwin is all encompassing in writing "Holding provided an unprecedented blend of skill, artistry, devastation, and technical perfection." To Holding the person, Dennis Lillee might be justified in writing "Many have probably looked for a way to dislike him, but it's impossible." As my acquaintance endures, I continue to esteem his independent thinking and straightforwardness. At Sabina Park we will certainly miss those stoic walks towards us, as we watch him eye the ball like a louped jeweller. All this before he turns away to transform that innocuous jog into that effortless sprint. But as the catching cordon prepares to rivet its attention, let me turn you over to those gallant warriors peering from behind their grilled masks. © ESPN Sports Media Ltd.

Michael Holding Whispering Death T-Shirt from BodylineTShirts.com Michael Holding Whispering Death T-Shirt: Silent but deadly when approaching the crease from one of his trademark long run-ups. Michael "Whispering Death" Holding: one of the greatest bowlers ever to play cricket. SKU: bt000130 Michael Holding v England (Oval 1976 ) - YouTube Michael Holding v England (Oval 1976 ) Want to watch this again later? Sign in to add this video to a playlist. Need to report the video? Sign in to report inappropriate content. The interactive transcript could not be loaded. Loading... Rating is available when the video has been rented. This feature is not available right now. Please try again later. Uploaded on Apr 21, 2006 3 wickets from Michael Holdings legendary spell at the oval in 1976 in the 5th test. Category Michael Holding: The Rolls Royce among fast bowlers - Cricket Country › Michael Holding: The Rolls Royce among fast bowlers Despite his graceful and silent run-up, Michael Holding bowled at scorching pace, hitting timber and batsman as generously than ever.

By Arunabha Sengupta | Updated : February 16, 2016 7:16 PM IST Whispering Death… Michael Holding came noiselessly from his run-up to cause mayhem in the opposition ranks © Getty Images Michael Holding, born February 16, 1954, was one of the greatest fast bowlers ever seen in the history of cricket. Arunabha Sengupta relives the career of the man, whose graceful and silent run up followed by scorching pace led him to be known as “Whispering Death”. It was languid verse as he ran in and destructive pace as he let the ball go — a rhythmic lead-up to a wrecking finish. Michael Holding turned around from far, far away, where the eyes had to squint to see. And then he ran in fluid, silent, long strides, with an action almost hypnotic in grace and athleticism. And as he waltzed into follow-through, the ball darted at rates seldom witnessed even in the heydays of pace bowling in the 1970s. His stealthy, extensive run up was soundless and serene.

Umpires were seldom aware of his approach till the corner of their eyes caught him stretched in his delivery stride. Not for nothing was he was he called “Whispering Death“. The plight of the courageous Brian Close at Old Trafford, played over and over again on YouTube or on the DVDs of Fire in Babylon, bears testimony to his hostility. Yet, Holding’s greatest feat was probably achieved two Tests later at The Oval. On a parched, dry surface, docile and dead after a long summer of merciless drought, Viv Richards piled up 291 and West Indies declared at 687. Dennis Amiss, who had been struck by Holding on the head during an early tour match, grafted a double hundred. The strip was barren enough to kill the enthusiasm of the any fast bowler. The other pacers in the match — a formidable lot consisting of Andy Roberts, Vanburn Holder, Bob Willis and Mike Selvey — bowled 127.5 overs between them for a meagre return of 5 wickets. And on this same parched graveyard of a wicket, Michael Holding reverted to the absolute fundamentals of fast bowling — full, straight and fast.

Stumps flew, toes were crushed and batsman after batsman walked back. Nine times the woodwork rattled, three batsmen were trapped plumb — only two of his wickets involved a fielder. Holding finished the match with 8 for 92 and 6 for 57, and West Indies won by 231 runs. The instrument of destruction The raw Michael Holding had bowled as fast as, and sometimes quicker than Jeff Thomson , during the disastrous Australian odyssey of 1975-76. However, in the five Tests Down Under — his first series — he could manage just 10 wickets at 61.40. The young man, stepping into the harsh world of professional cricket, was brought to the verge of tears by the extreme ruthlessness shown by the Australians. The beleaguered Clive Lloyd looked around for a force that could be as destructive as the fearsome combination of Dennis Lillee and Jeff Thomson. And in Holding he found perhaps the most lethal of his four barrelled machinery that would dominate world cricket for the two decades to follow. Holding was the instrument used to test the formula of speed in that notorious bloodbath at Jamaica against the hopping Indians.

His formidable hostility, generously sprinkled with fierce bouncers that darted at the body, prompted Bishan Bedi to close the Indian innings with 6 wickets down in the first innings and with 5 remaining in the second. And when the West Indians were riled up by Tony Greig’s injudicious use of the word ‘grovel’, the English batting fell apart as the wrath of the team was channelled through the thunderbolts of the fast men. Holding captured 28 wickets at 12.71 in the 4 Tests he played in that series. The finished unit A troubled hiatus followed when a lot of Test careers fell through the chasm created in world cricket by Kerry Packer’s World Series Cricket. By the time the stars of West Indies cricket re-emerged to play at the top level, they had been forged into a fantastic winning unit. Michael Holding continued to take wickets around the world. With Roberts , Joel Garner and Colin Croft — and later alongside Malcolm Marshall when Croft opted for the rebellious ways of South African tours — he formed an alliance of annihilation that the world had never witnessed outside the battlefield. Land, soil and moisture had little to do with it.

Holding and his mates blasted oppositions in Australia, England and India with the same relentless consistency as on the wickets of the Caribbean. Well into the eighties the run-up remained long, and the pace scorching. The Australians, anticipating a repeat of the rout of 1976, were demolished at home in 1979. In 1981, Geoff Boycott faced what is largely believed to be the most hostile over ever bowled, fending and missing five express deliveries before losing his off-stump to the sixth. And later, when his run up was shortened and the pace was cut down by a fraction, he toured India, bowled on the most placid of wickets, and finished with 30 wickets in six Tests at 22.10. The only country where his bowling did not quite manage the same degree of success was New Zealand. At the height of their powers, the West Indian juggernaut was thwarted in that heavenly island in 1979-80, thanks to fighting performances, the brilliance of Richard Hadlee and some atrocious umpiring. It was during that series that Holding carried out the other most photographed feat with only peripheral connection with his bowling.

Plagued by several leg before decisions against the West Indian batsmen at Dunedin, Holding charged in to bowl when New Zealand batted. When John Parker was beaten by a ripper, he was convinced that the batsman had edged to the wicketkeeper Deryck Murray. However, umpire John Hastie remained unmoved. A visibly irate Holding walked over to the striker’s end and let fly a kick, knocking the stumps out of the ground. It was in this same country that Holding played his last Test match in 1987. At Basin Reserve, Wellington, John Wright and Martin Crowe hit hundreds and the 33-year old pace bowler toiled for 37 overs without wicket. Suffering from a back strain, Holding announced his retirement at the end of the game. In 60 Tests, Holding ended up with 249 wickets at 23.68, boasting a strike rate of 50.9. A handy lower-order batsman, he hit as many as 6 fifties in Test cricket. His 36 sixes still stand as the highest by a batsman with fewer than 1,000 runs.

And for a fast bowler, he was often more than a useful fielder, capable of snapping up superb catches in the gully off his pace bowling mates. Holding never took One-Day Internationals too seriously, but managed to finish with 142 wickets in that format as well, at an average of 21.36 and a mind-boggling economy rate of 3.32. His 2 for 16 in from 8 overs in the final was an important factor in the 1979 World Cup triumph. But, perhaps the most memorable moment for him in the shorter game came in 1984 as an onlooker from the other end. Richards destroyed the English attack to score 189, putting on an unbeaten 106 for the last wicket while Holding scored 12 not out. Having moved on from the field, he has hovered in the fringes ever since, as a commentator whose voice is popular, recognised and often lovingly imitated. ( Arunabha Sengupta is a cricket historian and Chief Cricket Writer at CricketCountry.

He writes about the history and the romance of the game, punctuated often by opinions about modern day cricket, while his post-graduate degree in statistics peeps through in occasional analytical pieces.

The author of three novels, he can be followed on Twitter at ) First Published on February 16, 2013 8:51 AM IST Last updated on February 16, 2016 7:16 PM IST TOPICS: 20 Jan, 2017 11:30 IST Dubai International Cricket Stadium, Dubai 20 Jan, 2017 16:00 IST Dubai International Cricket Stadium, Dubai 20 Jan, 2017 21:30 IST SuperSport Park, Centurion 20 Jan, 2017 03:30 IST | 22:00 GMT Hagley Oval, Christchurch 20 Jan, 2017 11:30 IST | 06:00 GMT Dubai International Cricket Stadium, Dubai 20 Jan, 2017 16:00 IST | 10:30 GMT Dubai International Cricket Stadium, Dubai 20 Jan, 2017 21:00 IST | 15:30 GMT Dubai International Cricket Stadium, Dubai 20 Jan,

 2017 21:30 IST | 16:00 GMT SuperSport Park, Centurion Michael Holding to Geoff Boycott, 1981 - YouTube Michael Holding to Geoff Boycott, 1981 Want to watch this again later?

Sign in to add this video to a playlist. Need to report the video? Sign in to report inappropriate content. The interactive transcript could not be loaded. Loading... Rating is available when the video has been rented. This feature is not available right now. Please try again later. Uploaded on Mar 9, 2007 The 'Fastest over ever bowled'? See also my mini-site on this at Category Michael Holding | West Indian cricketer | Britannica.com West Indian cricketer Alternative Titles: Michael Anthony Holding, Whispering Death Michael Holding Ricky Ponting Michael Holding, in full Michael Anthony Holding, byname Whispering Death (born Feb. 16, 1954, Half Way Tree, Kingston, Jam.), West Indian cricketer, a dominant fast bowler who starred on the powerful West Indian international team of the 1970s and ’80s. In 60 Tests he earned 249 wickets, and in 102 one-day internationals, he took 142 wickets. In 1981 Holding bowled what many cricket historians regard as the greatest over in Test history to English batsman Geoff Boycott.

Holding, a super fast bowler, had one of the smoothest bowling actions ever; in fact, he earned the nickname “Whispering Death” because of his silent approach to the bowling crease and the venom he then released. He could trouble even the best batsmen with his steep bounce and intimidating pace. A one-time 400-metre sprinter, Holding gathered pace from his long run-up and delivered with a classical, if slightly chest-on, motion. Holding made his Test (international two-innings, five-day match) debut against Australia in the 1975 series. His partnership with Andy Roberts became the foundation upon which the West Indies’ four-pronged pace attack (four alternating fast bowlers) was built. In a Test against visiting India in 1976, he knocked the “tourists” out of the series with a fiery spell as five Indian batsmen were forced to quit the game as a result of injury. He was also a hard-hitting tailender batsman who had six 50-run stands in Tests. He was selected Wisden Cricketer of the Year in 1977.

Holding was forced to retire from International cricket because of hamstring and back injuries in 1987, having played for only 12 years. He went on to work as a popular TV commentator and was a member of the inaugural induction class of the International Cricket Council Hall of Fame in 2009. Learn More in these related articles:

Question: In cricket who was known as 'Whispering Death'?
Answer: Michael Holding