Tendulkar sees off Holding on commentary wrap-up

FORMER India captain Sachin Tendulkar on Thursday (16) said the voice of former West Indies fast bowler Michael Holding will be missed by millions of cricket lovers across the planet as the latter decided to conclude his stint with broadcasting.

In a tweet, Tendulkar said, “Congratulations on a wonderful career in broadcasting, Michael Holding. Your voice will be missed by millions across the globe. I loved the way you put your point of view across, and found your opinions unbiased and balanced. Take care, stay healthy and enjoy your retirement.”

The 67-year-old Jamaican, who was nicknamed ‘The Whispering Death’ during his playing days for speedy yet smooth bowling action, announced his retirement as a cricket commentator on Wednesday (15), ESPNcricinfo reported. He served as a member of the Sky Sports commentary panel for more than two decades and had been contemplating his retirement for the past one year.

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“I am not too sure how much further than 2020 I will be going with commentary. I cannot see myself going much further down the road at my age. I am 66 years old now, I am not 36, 46 or 56,” Holding, who is known for his razor-sharp analysis, had said on a BBC radio talk show.

“I told [ Sky] that I could not commit to more than a year at a time. If this year gets totally destroyed, I might have to think about 2021 because I can't just walk away from Sky, a company that has done so much good for me,” he added.

Holding, who was a member of the West Indies’ World Cup-winning team of 1979, retired from international cricket in 1987. He made his debut for the Caribbeans in 1975 and played till 1987. In this period, he appeared in 60 Tests and 102 one-day internationals, picking 391 wickets.