Michael Holding

Michael Holding was a Jamaican fast bowler known for his smooth, silent run-up and lethal pace, and later became one of cricket's most respected broadcasters.

Michael Anthony Holding was born on 16 February 1954 in Kingston, Jamaica, to parents who were keen sportspeople; his father, a building contractor, played club cricket to a good standard, and Holding excelled at both cricket and athletics as a schoolboy, once considering a career as a 400-metre sprinter. Holding made his Test debut against Australia in 1975, and developed into one of the most graceful yet devastating fast bowlers in cricket history, his smooth, silent run-up earning him the nickname "Whispering Death" from umpires who found his approach almost hypnotic. Holding delivered arguably the finest sustained spell of fast bowling ever seen at The Oval in 1976, taking 14 wickets for 149 runs on a lifeless pitch, and formed part of the legendary West Indies four-pronged pace attack that dominated world cricket throughout the late 1970s and 1980s. Holding retired in 1987 with 249 Test wickets, and built an extensive and widely admired career as a cricket commentator, becoming one of the sport's most respected broadcasting voices and outspoken advocates against racism in cricket and society more broadly.

Holding possessed a smooth, rhythmic bowling action with a long, silent run-up that earned him the nickname 'Whispering Death.' He generated tremendous pace through perfect coordination and timing rather than brute force. His ability to move the ball at extreme pace, combined with his accuracy and hostile bouncer, made him virtually unplayable on his day.

Holding is regarded as one of the greatest fast bowlers of all time and helped establish the West Indies' fearsome pace quartet that dominated world cricket for over a decade.

• ICC Cricket Hall of Fame 2018
• MBE