MEDIA RELEASE - Friday, September 29, 2000
The Game of Cricket keeps a hold on Holding
Michael Anthony Holding has been hailed as one of the finest West Indies fast bowlers of all time. He's played 60 Tests, 249 wickets at an average of 23.68 with a strike rate of a wicket every 51 deliveries. In his heyday he was said to be a joy to watch but a terror to play. The 46 year old Jamaican retired in September 1988 but he didn't venture too far from the game - jus to the commentary box and today, the man nicknamed "The Whispering Death", is still making those lethal deliveries. Sheena Carten spoke to him.
SC: What
is harder - being a West Indies player or a West Indies commentator?
MH: Definitely a West Indies player - I wouldn't call myself a West Indies
commentator. I'm just a commentator from the West Indies and it's a lot
easier and its something I enjoy a great deal, Its nowhere near as strenuous
or as time consuming, Its certainly a lot easier than playing, Sometimes
there are a few people who don't take criticism too well - but I don't
really worry about that and I get on with my job, I try to give an informative
view of what's happening on the field,
SC: What
was the secret in making you a great bowler?
MH: I wouldn't be able to say, For one I don't consider myself a great
bowler - I was part of a great team yes and the team did very well. I
had some good performances - I played 60 test matches, which is not really
a lot of test matches for today, but we had a great team and we performed
well - it was a great combination. But one man doesn't make a great team.
At the moment we have three great cricketers in the West Indies team and
we still can't win.
SC: How will
the West Indies cure their current woes?
MH: It will take a bit of time - a few years, Two years ago I said five
sic years from now, It takes a bit of time for talent to be developed
and to get the players exposed properly, We have to find the right people
too - it's not just talent that will get you there - you need the right
attitude from the players as well.
SC: Can a
country like Cayman every produce stars for the West Indies?
MH: Of course, for sure, A lot of small Caribbean islands in the eastern
Caribbean have produced stars. Nevis is pretty small and has produced
test cricketers - St Lucia too. There are a lot of islands that have produced
West Indies players. So there is no reason why Cayman should not be able
to, there is a lot of potential here.
SC: Who's
the best friend you have met in your sporting career?
MH: I think it would have to be my old partner Andy Roberts. We're good
friends when we were playing together for the West Indies, I have made
a lot of friends in cricket but I think Andy would have to be the closest.
We spent so much time together - and because we did a lot of things together
off the field. "We roomed together fore a long time and remained very
good friends.
SC: And your
greatest enemy?
MH: Enemy? I don't think I have any enemies, I don't know but I don't
know of any, I don't consider any of the cricketers I have played with
an enemy - maybe they consider me an enemy but I am not aware of that.
SC: What
about the media?
MH: I don't worry about the media, I think a lot of the players today
worry too much about the media. Their job is to go out on the cricket
field and produce good cricket on the filed.
SC: What's
so great about this Cable & Wireless weekend that you have come back?
MH: Cricket is a game that I love - It's a game that I would love to see
being played all over the world. This weekend is tying to promote cricket
here in Cayman and I am always for that, you know, its great to promote
the game and I would really love to see cricket really taking off in Cayman.
You know I have been coming here from when I was about 14 years old and
cricket doesn't see to have grown a lot since then. And you know things
like this weekend will help promote the game and hopefully it will grow,
And that Cayman are competing in the Red Stripe Tournament will help,.
It won't just be a matter of a few guys coming to Cayman once every year.
Now they will have something to aim for. And this will just help to promote
that.
SC: And what's
your favourite food?
MH: (laughs) My favourite food - I don't have a specific piece of food.
I love food - Asian, Indian, Chinese, and some Jamaican dishes. I love
food basically.
For more information contact:
Andrea Fa'amoe
Public Relations Manager
Cable & Wireless, Cayman
Tel: 1 345 914 0553
Cell: 1 345 916 6033
E-mail: prm@candw.ky
Cable & Wireless is a major global telecommunications business with customers in 70 countries. Its businesses around the world offer a range of services spanning broadband data, Internet and voice services. Cable & Wireless' priority for expansion is the fast growing market of IP (Internet Protocol) and data services for business customers. It is making major investments in developing advanced networks and services in the US, Europe and the Asia-Pacific region to build the world's leading global IP infrastructure. With the capacity of this advanced infrastructure and its presence in key business markets, Cable & Wireless holds a unique position in terms of global coverage and services to business customers.