Michael Holding, a former West Indies quick, has announced his retirement from commentary, at least in international cricket. He finishes a 20-year relationship with Sky Sports, where he most recently commented on the just ended (or not) Test series between India and England.
Michael Holding’s smooth, soothing, and serene voice, which embraced Test sport, as well as his ideas and extensive analysis, will be missed by fans.
In an interview with the BBC, he indicated that his age, 67, was the driving force behind his decision; travel, time away from family, and stick protocols amid the Covid-19 outbreak appear to be other factors in the great pacer’s decision to leave the commentary box.
“I am not too sure how much further than 2020 I will be going with commentary. I cannot see myself going much further down the road at my age. I am 66 years old now, I am not 36, 46 or 56. I told [ Sky] that I could not commit to more than a year at a time.”
“If this year gets totally destroyed, I might have to think about 2021 because I can’t just walk away from Sky, a company that has done so much good for me.”
In his 12-year international career for West Indies, the lanky seamer took 249 Test wickets and 142 ODI wickets.
Michael Holding is well-known for his remarks regarding Jasprit Bumrah when the Indian pacer first arrived on the scene. He had doubts about Bumrah’s lifespan as a result of his actions.
However, he believes that Bumrah’s motion and his sluggish, short run-up are what distinguish him now.
Speaking to the Telegraph, the Jamaican said, “I think what puts people off [batsmen] is Bumrah’s limited run-up and his powerful strong action that produces the pace. If he had a long rhythmical run-up and bowled with the same delivery action at the same pace, batsmen would not find it as difficult. Even Jeff Thomson and Lasith Malinga had ‘different’ actions, but they had a run-up through which batsmen could get some sort of rhythm from.”
In India’s rematch with England, Bumrah was once again outstanding. In four Tests, he took 18 wickets. On Day 5, his two-for-two in the second session at The Oval propelled India to victory.
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