Former West Indies great Michael Holding is once again bidding adieu to cricket enthusiasts across the globe. This time around, he is retiring from the world of broadcasting after entertaining fans of the game with his voice for over three decades as a television commentator. Holding moved behind the microphone after representing the West Indies in 60 Tests and 102 One-Day Internationals (ODIs). He announced his retirement from the game in 1987, and three years later, during England's tour of the West Indies, he made his commentary debut.
After the news of his retirement was out, batting legend Sachin Tendulkar paid tribute to Holding for a successful career in the commentary box. Sharing a snap with the West Indies great on Twitter, Tendulkar wrote, "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," Tendulkar added.
The 48-year-old also wished Holding a happy retirement. "Take care, stay healthy and enjoy your retirement."
Former England skipper Michael Vaughan said that Holding will be missed in the commentary box.
Vaughan tweeted, "Michael Holding is a legendary bowler .. Commentator... Campaigner.. but even more so a GREAT guy who will be sorely missed around the Comm boxes."
West Indian great Ian Bishop tweeted that he was "privileged to call him (Holding) friend and mentor", and thanked him for "the teachings he brought".
Veteran India wicket-keeper Dinesh Karthik, who recently had an opportunity to work with Holding in the commentary box, also shared his thoughts about his retirement on Twitter.
"Michael HOLDING - "Mikey" An absolute gentleman with a strong view but a soft hearted , warm person . The kind of person you'd walk into a war with. Spent little time with him, but made plenty of memories. Loved his straight forward nature and his warm laugh," Karthik wrote on Twitter.
He concluded his tweet with "Happy retirement" and a red heart emoji.
Harsha Bhogle also posted a video on his official Twitter handle to pay tribute to the legend. "Michael Holding, on the field and in the commentary box, was cricket in rhythm. A small tribute to say thank you," he captioned the video.
Holding was known for his voice, rich vocabulary and objective opinions among cricket enthusiasts.