Mikey reflects on Tony Greig's comments, plus a tough tour of Australia and his love of horses
Thursday 9 July 2020 13:26, UK
Fast as lightning, smooth as silk - this is The Michael Holding Story.
In a series first shown in the summer of 2017, Whispering Death looks at the Jamaican's life, from fearsome fast bowler to revered commentator.
During the on-going series between England and West Indies, we will be replaying the three-part series in full, as Michael Atherton ventured to the Caribbean to talk to Mikey about his cricketing career and beyond.
In part one - which you can watch in the video above - we discover when Michael's love of horses began as well as about his childhood in Jamaica, early days for West Indies and 14-wicket haul at The Oval in 1976.
Holding's superb display in south London came in a Test series West Indies won 3-0, after then-England captain Tony Greig had commented earlier that summer that the hosts would make their opponents "grovel".
Mikey reveals he learnt to bowl fast and straight as a young man in Jamaica but former West Indies captain Clive Lloyd says Holding was excellent at swinging the ball, too, while David Lloyd, Sir Ian Botham and Sir Geoffrey Boycott purr over Mikey's quiet and rhythmical action.
Plus, Mikey reflects on the difficult tour of Australia in 1975-76 when West Indies were thrashed 5-1 and the team spirit wasn't the best.
