Michael Holding
West Indies legend on intimidating opponents, why there are few great fast bowlers these days, and Caribbean Christmases
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Hi Mike, how are you? Good thanks, how are you?
We're great. Small Talk understands you're involved in a new film. What's it all about? It's called Fire in Babylon and it's about West Indies cricket in the 70s and 80s, the dominance of the West Indies team and the political ramifications of our dominance. It's basically showing the influence of cricket on the Caribbean and the impact it had on Caribbean people around the world.
What's your fondest memory of having been part of that team?When you win Test matches it's a great feeling, but being part of the first ever West Indies team to beat Australia in Australia in 1979-80 was even more uplifting. So many teams had gone there and failed to beat them, and other West Indies teams had been to all parts of the world and won, but none had been to Australia and won before.
How did you celebrate? We celebrated amongst ourselves. After the Adelaide Test we were staying in a three-star hotel – in those days we didn't get five-star hotels – and we went back to the hotel and had a ball. A few people had a bit too much to drink, which is usual, but we had a ball, we enjoyed it.
It's funny you should mention having a drink – David Gower recently told Small Talk that having to bat against that 1980s West Indies attack was the best hangover cure he ever had ... [Deep belly laugh] Yeah, I suppose so. You have got to have your wits about you when you are batting against that sort of pace. You certainly can't afford to be out there blurry-eyed. So I suppose you could say that was true.
http://www.guardian.co.uk/sport/2011/apr/15/michael-holding-small-talk
West Indies legend on intimidating opponents, why there are few great fast bowlers these days, and Caribbean Christmases
Join the fun on our county cricket live blog
- Paolo Bandini
- guardian.co.uk, Friday 15 April 2011 00.01 BST
- Article history
Hi Mike, how are you? Good thanks, how are you?
We're great. Small Talk understands you're involved in a new film. What's it all about? It's called Fire in Babylon and it's about West Indies cricket in the 70s and 80s, the dominance of the West Indies team and the political ramifications of our dominance. It's basically showing the influence of cricket on the Caribbean and the impact it had on Caribbean people around the world.
What's your fondest memory of having been part of that team?When you win Test matches it's a great feeling, but being part of the first ever West Indies team to beat Australia in Australia in 1979-80 was even more uplifting. So many teams had gone there and failed to beat them, and other West Indies teams had been to all parts of the world and won, but none had been to Australia and won before.
How did you celebrate? We celebrated amongst ourselves. After the Adelaide Test we were staying in a three-star hotel – in those days we didn't get five-star hotels – and we went back to the hotel and had a ball. A few people had a bit too much to drink, which is usual, but we had a ball, we enjoyed it.
It's funny you should mention having a drink – David Gower recently told Small Talk that having to bat against that 1980s West Indies attack was the best hangover cure he ever had ... [Deep belly laugh] Yeah, I suppose so. You have got to have your wits about you when you are batting against that sort of pace. You certainly can't afford to be out there blurry-eyed. So I suppose you could say that was true.
http://www.guardian.co.uk/sport/2011/apr/15/michael-holding-small-talk
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