Michael Holding

Michael Anthony Holding is a Jamaican former cricketer and commentator who played for the West Indies cricket team. Widely regarded as one of the greatest pace bowlers in cricket history, he was nicknamed "Whispering Death" due to his silent, light-footed run up to the bowling crease. Holding was a key member of the West Indies team that won the 1979 Cricket World Cup, as well as finishing as runners-up at the 1983 Cricket World Cup. He had the most wickets for his team at the 1979 tournament. His bowling action was renowned for being smooth and extremely fast, and he used his height to generate large amounts of bounce and zip off the pitch. He was part of the fearsome West Indian pace bowling battery, together with Andy Roberts, Joel Garner, Colin Croft, Wayne Daniel, Malcolm Marshall and Sylvester Clarke, that devastated opposing batting line-ups throughout the world in the late seventies and early eighties. Early in his Test career, in 1976, Holding broke the record for best bowling figures in a Test match by a West Indies bowler, 14 wickets for 149 runs (14/149). The record still stands. During his first-class cricket career, Holding played for Jamaica, Canterbury, Derbyshire, Lancashire, and Tasmania. In September 2021, Holding announced his retirement from being a commentator.

16 February 1954

Born on the same birth date (16 February 1954): Iain Banks • Margaux Hemingway

Born on the same birth day (16 February): August Coppola • Giambattista Bodoni • Glyn Davies (politician) • Henry Wilson • Iain Banks • Ice-T • James Baskett • John Bradbury (drummer) • John Tartaglia • Katy Dunne • Michael Avenatti • Nicolai Boilesen • Peter Hain

Born in the same month (February 1954): Cliff Martinez • Frank Walker (Australian author) • Hansi Hinterseer • Iain Banks • Jam Mohammad Yousaf • Jon Brant • Lou Ann Barton • Margaux Hemingway • Plastic Bertrand • Sid Meier • Viktor Yushchenko