June 26, 2024

Michael Holding Biography, Age, Wife, Children, Family, Wiki & More

Updated On : November 11, 2019

Short Biography

Michael Holding was born on 16-02-1954 in Kingston, Jamaica. He is a Jamaican Cricket Commentator & former Cricket Player.

Other Name: Michael Anthony Holding, Whispering Death
Other Professions: Cricket Player

Michael Holding Complete Bio & Career

Tall, dark and handsome, Michael Holding is popular for the fast bowling art he introduced to the cricket players. The style he bowled with made him the most popular face in the cricket world. The silence in his approach to bowling, sheer pace, and smooth action revealed his intimidation for bowling using his wrist by whipping it. He is still remembered when talking about the golden era of cricket and fast bowling. 
 
International Debut in cricket 
Michael Holding was born in a sport loving family in the year 1954 in Kingston. It was the love of his father regarding cricket which made him enroll Michael as the member of the popular Melbourne Cricket Club located in Kingston. His passion for cricket and particular bowling helped him gain the position he is currently holding. It was in the late 1975s Michael got his first match in a test match series against Australia. When the fast bowler of the West Indies team, Bernard Julien failed to give his best, his place was given to Holding. In the second test, he bowled at a speed of 156 km/h which was even quicker than Jeff Thomson. He proved to be a natural opener partner to Roberts in his debut series. 
 
His unbroken records and achievements 
Michael Holding broke the record of best bowling figures while playing a test match in 1976 during his test career. Holding took 14 wickets and gave out 149 runs. And this record is still not broken by any of the bowlers or fast bowlers till date. He is also counted among the terrorized batting lineup bowlers of the 70s and the 80s along with Garner, Croft, Marshall,and Roberts. The total number of tests he played is 60 in which he was successful in picking a total number of 249 wickets along with 13 five hauls wickets and 2 ten hauls wickets. 
 
After retirement career
Holding has written autobiographies which includes Whispering Death and No Holding Back in the years 1988 and 2010 respectively. Where the first one was written prior to retirement, the second one was after his retirement. He also ran a petrol station after retirement named Michael Holding’s Service Station in Kingstone which provided employment to the members of the Melbourne Cricket Club. 
 
An umpire in domestic matches, a professional commentator and an inspiring fast bowler, Michael Holding truly stands his nickname Whispering Death given by the umpires for his quiet approach towards bowling. 

Michael Holding Family, Relatives and Other Relations

He was born to Ralph Holding and Enid Holding. He has a brother named Ralph Holding Jr. and 2 sisters named Rheima Holding and Marjorie Holding. He is married to Lauri Ann Holding and together the couple has a son named Ryan Mark Holding.

Life's Important Dates Of Michael Holding

Body Measurements

Skin Colour Black
Eye Colour Black
Hair Colour White

Personal Info

Home Town Kingston
Nationality Jamaican
Religion Christian
Address Kingston, Jamaica
School N/A
College University of the West Indies, Mona, Jamaica
Qualification N/A
Hobbies Fishing and Driving
Marital Status Married
Debut Test - 28 November 1975 v Australia
ODI - 26 August 1976 v England
Best Friends Andy Roberts
Salary N/A
Net Worth N/A
Official Website N/A

Favourites

Favorite Color Black
Favorite Player Chris Gayle
Favorite Sport Cricket
Favorite Singer Shaggy
Favorite Place Caribbean Islands and UK

Shocking / Interesting Facts & Secrets About Michael Holding

  • He was nicknamed "Whispering Death" due to his quiet approach to the bowling crease.
  • He hold the record for best bowling figures in a Test match by a West Indies bowler, 14 wickets for 149 runs (14/149).
  • At the age of three he was diagnosed with asthma, but by his early teenage years he no longer needed an inhaler.
  • At one stage of his career, he decided to quit cricket and look for a job outside cricket.
  • Holding has written two autobiographies the first of which, Whispering Death, was published in 1988 before he retired and the second, No Holding Back, over 20 years later in 2010.

Michael Holding Age, Birthday Facts and Birthday Countdown

70 years, 4months, 10 days old age Michael Holding will turn 71 on 16 February, 2025. Only 7 months, 20 days, 10 hours,49 minutes has left for his next birthday.

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Birthdays Celebrated on Each Day of Week

Michael Holding has celebrated the total number of 70 birthdays till date. See the analysis by days count and bar graph.

  • 70
    70
  • 10
    14%
  • 9
    13%
  • 10
    14%
  • 10
    14%
  • 11
    16%
  • 10
    14%
  • 10
    14%