World cricket needs a Mandela like figure: Michael Holding

Legendary West Indian pacer Michael Holding tells Derek Abraham that quality players giving up Test cricket is not a good sign.

Could you recall your first meeting with Stevan Riley, the director of Fire in Babylon?
I did not take Stevan too seriously when we met at Sabina Park (Kingston, Jamaica) a few years back. He told me about his plans, but I wasn’t too convinced.

A British filmmaker could have made a documentary on, say, the Ashes. So did Riley’s choice surprise you?
Yes, it did. And that’s why I wasn’t too interested first up. But our subsequent meetings bore fruit.

Almost every West Indian legend interviewed in Fire in Babylon spoke of the racist taunts made by the crowds in Australia. How did it affect the team’s morale?
They said a lot of mean things and most of them are not printable. But we chose to ignore them. Look, the people who abused us were obviously not civilised. Majority of the crowds appreciated our cricket.

Tony Greig obviously rubbed the West Indian team the wrong way by making that ‘grovel’ comment in 1976. Did the pacers bowl faster when he came to bat?
Oh yes, we did. The wicketkeeper and slip cordon stood further behind as soon as he walked in. And the pacers used to increase their run-ups. It didn’t matter if I was bowling my first or 40th over. When Tony came in, I somehow found extra energy. But it’s been so many years and I think he never meant what he said. In fact, everyone perceived his comments differently. Perhaps, his South African background prompted us to take his comments that way. He’s a great friend now.

The West Indian team achieved great heights and a lot of credit must go to the pace battery, including you. It is also said that fast bowlers are a maverick bunch. How then did Clive Lloyd ‘handle’ you guys?
Clive was a great man manager. He pretty much allowed us to do our thing. But you must understand that he had a bunch of bowlers who could not just bowl fast, but also think, fight and perform. To me, Clive was a father figure. I treated him like I would treat my dad — with utmost respect. He had an imposing physique, but I don’t remember him losing his cool. He was a gentle giant (laughs).

As the end credits roll in the documentary, you state a potent fact that between February 1980 and March 1995, the West Indies cricket team did not lose a single Test series. How exactly did you guys manage to do that?
Well, we had a very good team (laughs). I remember about six to seven members of that team were inducted into the ICC Hall of Fame a few years back. Six to seven members of that team, not that country. That’s how good we were. And I am proud of the fact that I was part of it.

Another interesting aspect was the trans-ition the team made from Clive Lloyd to Viv Richards. How differ-ent were the two eras?
Look, I played 10 years of my cricket under Clive and only two under Viv. And believe me, they were extremely different individuals and captains. Clive, like I said, was a quiet man while Viv wore his heart on his shoulder. Both of them worked towards a common goal — winning. We were like any other team. We had conflicts under Clive, and also under Viv. Personality clashes were common. It was not a bed of roses. Once we were on the field, we played to win.

Is it true that Desmond Haynes and Gordon Greenidge, one of the greatest opening pairs of all time, were as different as chalk and cheese?
Yes, that’s a perfect example. Dessy and Gordon scored so many runs together, but you’d never see them hanging out after the day’s play. They had their own circle of friends. I never saw them even talking to each other off the field. Point is that when they batted together, they were unstoppable. That’s what team work is all about.

The documentary also devotes a lot of air time to Kerry Packer’s World Series Cricket. How do you compare that era with the IPL era?
It’s totally different. Nowadays, youngsters are happy playing Twenty20 cricket. Look at the number of players who have given up Test cricket. Lasith Malinga is a big name. Chris Gayle had so many issues with his board. And Kevin Pietersen. These are not good signs.

Do you think creating a window for the IPL will solve the problem to some extent?
How on earth do you create windows for the IPL, the Big Bash League, the Bangladesh Premier League and the Sri Lanka Premier League or any other Twenty20 league that will mushroom in the years to come?

People are pointing fingers at the BCCI for the manner in which it controls the game...
It was no different when England and Australia controlled the game. It’s simple. Money corrupts; money spoils. We need people like Nelson Mandela in cricket. Do you know what Mandela (Madiba) did when he came to power? He forgave the whites. He united the country. He could have chosen to hate the people of the Apartheid regime, but we know what he did.

Yes, the movie Invictus depicts just that...
Oh yes, what a movie that was. I loved it (laughs).

Have you met Madiba?
No, that’s one of my biggest regrets. I have never met the great man.

What do you think is going on in Sachin Tendulkar’s mind?
I don’t know! I am busy covering cricket in England. In fact, I have had to do commentary for about 61 days this season. I haven’t watched a single ball of the India-New Zealand series. I have been reading reports that he is struggling. I sincerely hope he chooses the right moment to call it a day. And I hope people say ‘Oh what a pity!’ and not ‘Finally’ whenever he chooses to go.

You watched South Africa’s coronation. Do you think they can stay at the top longer than England, India or the South African team of 2010?
Yes, I think so. Even when England thrashed India 4-0 last year, I had said on air that England are the No 1-ranked team in the world, but certainly not the best. And their losses in the UAE and now at home prove that. Having said that, South Africa don’t have all their bases covered. They don’t have a world-class spinner. Imran Tahir is a good spinner, not a great one. In any case, leg-spinners take time to mature. Remember Shane Warne?

Fire in Babylon
Fire in Babylon is a British documentary film (running time of 80 minutes) about the record-breaking West Indies team of the 1970s and 1980s. Featuring stock footage and interviews with several former players and officials, including Colin Croft, Deryck Murray, Joel Garner, Gordon Greenidge, Desmond Haynes, Michael Holding, Clive Lloyd, Viv Richards and Andy Roberts, the film was written and directed by Stevan Riley and was nominated for a British Independent Film Award for Best Documentary. It was the joint-winner (with Reggae Britannia) of the UNESCO Award at the Jamaica Reggae Film Festival 2011. It will be released across India on September 21.

No holding back
Full Name: Michael Anthony Holding
Date of Birth: February 16, 1954 in Kingston, Jamaica
Age: 58 years
Major Teams: West Indies, Canterbury, Derbyshire, Jamaica, Lancashire, Tasmania
Batting Style: Right-handed
Bowling Style: Right-arm fast
Nickname: Whispering Death
Current Profession: Commentator