'We'll be back on top', says Holding (23 October 1998)
A genuine fast bowler with one of the smoothest actions of all, Michael Anthony Holding took 249 wickets in only 60 Test matches and 142 scalps in 102 one-dayers for the West Indies
23-Oct-1998
23 October 1998
'We'll be back on top', says Holding
Syed Ashfaqul Haque & Al-Amin
Cricket connoisseurs fondly called him as 'the Rolls Royce of
Bowlers.'
A genuine fast bowler with one of the smoothest actions of all,
Michael Anthony Holding took 249 wickets in only 60 Test matches and
142 scalps in 102 one-dayers for the West Indies.
In his teens he was a fine sprinter in Jamaica. And his innate talent
of the track enabled him to develop a silky and silent run-up before
slamming down the ball at an estimated 97 mph to a bewitched batsman
at the other end.
Umpires who had the experience of officiating a match while the silent
cyclone from the shore of Caribbean sea wrecking havoc admitted
afterwards that they could not even hear the sound of his approach
until he crossed them for the final assault. It eventually earned him
a famous nickname - 'whispering death'.
He was capable of terrorising batsmen with his steep bounce,
intimidating pace, and invariably stunned them generating movement
even on a docile wicket.
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 11occasions and Gaekward on eight.
Holding, who turned into a popular television commentator after his
retirement from cricket in 1987, took the art of fast bowling to new
heights with his unprecedented blend of skill, dexterity, devastation,
and technical perfection.
The famous West Indian has come to Dhaka as a member of the six-man
WorldTel commentary team.
Although his hairline is greying, the famous rhythmic silence is still
prominent when the 44-year-old walks. And at the top floor of the
Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB) yesterday, passers-by startled to look
up hearing the baritone voice of Holding while having a friendly bout
with The Daily Star Sport.
The Daily Star Sport: You're supposed to arrive in Dhaka on the
20th. Any special reason for the delay?
Michael Holding: No. I was doing the Test match (between)
Australia and Pakistan in Peshawar. I'm very much on schedule.
DSS: So you witnessed the much talked-about decision of Mark
Taylor for no going after the world record (375) of Brian Lara. What
would you have done if you were Taylor?
MH: I would have batted on. If I were the captain of that team
I would've instructed him to bat on. But, I don't feel sorry for him,
and he made his own decision and he's a big man.
DSS: This is your first visit to Bangladesh. How do you feel
being here?
MH: Yes it's my first visit. I haven't seen a lot yet. The
stadium looks very impressive. You know I've been not there in the
middle. I understand it's wet and people should not walk.
DSS: Do you've any idea about Bangladesh cricket?
MH: No. Don't know anything about Bangladesh cricket.
DSS: We sure you know that Gordon (Greenidge) is here and now
coaching Bangladesh?
MH: Yes, I know that. But I haven't met him yet.
DSS: In your view what prospects do the West Indies have in the
tournament?
MH: Well that's difficult. Their first game is against
Pakistan, and that's not an easy team to beat. The structure of the
meet is that if you lose your first game you go home. So it's a bit
difficult to really predict who is going to win or who is going to do
well. A one-day game is pretty much a lottery, especially under these
conditions.
DSS: What are your thoughts on the tournament format?
MH: Well, this is a one-off situation. Because the ICC wanted
to get the competition.. showpiece going. They didn't have really much
of a choice because of the schedules going around the world now. A lot
of teams are playing a lot of cricket.
DSS: Tony Cozier (renowned commentator and writer from
Barbados) depicted a dismal picture of Jamaican cricket recently. Is
it true that the youngsters are more inclined to games other than
cricket?
MH: My comment (on the article) is that it's overexaggerated.
I think, as any country or islands develops you will find young people
there exploring other avenues. Traditionally cricket was the game to
play in the Caribbean. But suddenly with the advent of satellite
television, kids are seeing other sports. They will certainly want to
experiment and try other things that they're seeing. And that's
typical of any country.
DSS: You were a proud member of the invincible team of
seventies and eighties. But since then the West Indians have been
wandering in the wilderness. Do you predict a renaissance in West
Indies cricket soon?
MH: Yes, I'm hopeful of that. Sure, I would think that we
haven't done too badly at all. We've slipped but as you see we still
can beat most teams in the world. And, I think within four or five
years we will be back on top again.
DSS: Unlike your days, there is lots of money lately in
cricket. Players seem to be more engrossed in counting notes instead
of playing quality cricket. Do you think that money motivates them
rather than cricket in general?
MH: Well, if you're talking about the financial aspects of
cricket, if you compare cricket with any other professional sport,
cricket is last, dead last, distant last... So there is no financial
incentive there if turn about other sport.
DSS: Which team do you tip as the favourite for the Will
International Cup?
MH: I don't know. I don't have a favourite.
Source :: The Bangladesh Daily Star (https://www.dailystarnews.com)