INJURY TIME

CHEERS, MR HOLDING

It’ll be a very difficult act to follow. Michael Holding, after a distinguished playing career, and even more stellar one in the commentary booth. Forthright, funny, insightful, sensitive and possessed of a dreamy Jamaican tone, Holding was a favourite for viewers. He highlighted how racism continues to divide society in one of the most outstanding pieces of television ever produced. Holding will be sorely missed in the commentary box.

THE BCCI

Holding never bothered bowing to the BCCI in the manner so many other explayers turned commentators do. Those IPL commentary gigs are worth a lot, so who wants to go around biting the hand that feeds them? Holding wasn’t a fan of T20, so didn’t need the IPL and so had no qualms about criticising it and the organisation that oversees that tournament, the Board of Control for Cricket in India. During an ODI between Pakistan and the West Indies, Holding outlined some thoughts. “I wrote about it in my books, and I don’t think one copy of it will be sold in India, because I had nothing good to say about the BCCI and what they are doing to world cricket. What you will find with the IPL is that you will never see it clashing with an Indian series never. So they are never affected. And the ICC just allows them to run it as they like.”

KG

Holding on various occasions has outlined his fondness for Kagiso Rabada. The two have formed a fairly close bond down the years, with Holding explaining that a lot of the conversations they’ve had don’t involve cricket. But Holding’s not afraid to call Rabada out when he feels the young South African fast bowler has overstepped the mark, as was the case at St George’s Park in 2018 and the ‘shoulder brush’ with then Australian captain, Steve Smith. “I was so upset with him, one morning in Port Elizabeth, that I walked straight past him on the ground,” Holding said in an interview with SuperSport. “And he was shocked. He shouted to me, ‘Mikey what’s happened?’ I said to him: ‘KG, what’s happened? You don’t know what’s happened? I was very disappointed with what happened yesterday (incident with Steve Smith)’.”

JOFRA

And when Jofra Archer, slipped out of the quarantine bubble in England last year, Holding again pulled no punches. “I have no sympathy at all. I don’t understand why people can’t just do what is required,” Holding said on Sky Sports. “Talking about sacrifices Nelson Mandela spent 27 years in a little cell and he did nothing wrong that is a sacrifice.”

‘HAPPY NOT TO BE A PART OF IT’

He didn’t mind telling off the people who paid him either. Holding wasn’t happy about umpiring during a World Cup match between the West Indies and Australia in 2019. Huw Bevan, the production head for ICC’s rights partner Sunset & Vine Asia, wrote an email to Holding and the other TV commentators to remind them all about “the importance of maintaining the highest standards and uphold the game’s best values and spirit while covering the tournament”. The email included that, “ICC TV’s duty is to reflect the values (above) and not to cast doubt or negative judgement on anything associated with the tournament in our coverage”. It also said: “Inherently in live television, there are occasions when on field decisions cause reason for discussion or debate, but as ICC TV host broadcasters, our (Sunset & Vine) duty is not to judge or highlight mistakes.” Holding did not take this well and wrote back to ICC. “If those umpires yesterday were Fifa officials, they would have been told to pack their bags and head home. They would not have been given another World Cup game to officiate. As a former cricketer, I think cricket should be held to a higher standard. Is the objective to protect the umpires even when they do a bad job?” He added: “I am sorry, but I am not going to be part of that. Please let me know if I should be heading back to my home in Newmarket instead of heading to Cardiff because I don’t agree with what is being suggested here and am happy not being part of it.”

RIP ‘BOETA’ CASSIEM

Newlands will be that much quieter following the passing this week of Moegamat ‘Boeta’ Cassiem, the famous ice-cream seller. He was as much a part of Newlands as the Oaks and made watching cricket at that venue even more enjoyable. He will be missed.