A tall guy with deep eyes, rhythmic run-up to the crease and a nonchalant bowling action from the Caribbean islands in the 70s and the 80s signaled nothing but a short stay at the crease for the batsmen. Holding was one of those guys who matched this description. He was nicknamed Whispering Death by the umpires, the first part of the epithet came from his silent approach to the crease and the second, came from the end result of his run-up. Never has cricket seen a combination of prodigious skill, athleticism and pure ruthlessness from a bowler.

Basically a sprinter, Holding was born in Kingston, Jamaica in 1954. He used skills acquired from running 400 meter races which went on to have an effect on his run-up. Because of his height, he was able to generate large amounts of bounce and zip off the pitch. Along with Garner, Roberts, Croft and Marshall, he formed a fearsome pace battery which terrorized batting lineups in the 70s and the 80s. Although he played only 60 Tests, he ended up picking 249 wickets at an average of 23.68 with 13 five wicket hauls and 2 ten wicket hauls. He holds the record for the best bowling figures in a match by a West Indian, 14/149 against England in 1976 at the Kennington Oval in London. He also has the record for scoring the maximum number of sixes (36) for a batsman with a run tally less than 1000. Currently, Holding is a widely respected commentator and critic who is known for his distinctive Jamaican accent and acerbic views.

In May 2013, Holding received an Honorary Degree and Life Time Achievement Award at the University of East London for his immeasurable contribution towards sport.

Facts:

1) He was the last batsman out in the final of 1983 World Cup which India won miraculously. In an interview he mentioned that when he went in to bat, he had the belief that he could score the remaining 40 odd runs for his side as he believed that West Indies could not be beaten

2) His over to Geoff Boycott in 1981 in Bridgetown is considered to be 'the greatest over in Test history'. The first five balls were faster than the previous one leading to the batsman making his displeasure evident. Much to the crowd's delight, Boycott was clean bowled off the last ball

3) Till 2008, he was a member of the ICC cricket committee. He resigned from the post after the ICC's decision to change the result of a Test match between Pakistan and England to a draw which the former side had forfeited after they were alleged to have tampered with the ball.

By Siddharth Prabhakar