Holding: Can’t watch WI cricket

Legendary West Indies fast bowler Michael Holding delivered an emotional tribute to his former teammate Bernard Julien on the Mason & Guest programme in Barbados, on Tuesday–and made plain his growing disillusion with the modern state of West Indies cricket.

Holding said he has not watched West Indies cricket for four years. Yet he spoke at length about the personal debt he owes Julien, recalling a generosity that left an indelible mark.

“My association with BJ goes before 1975–it goes back a couple of years before that because BJ and myself played in a President’s XI game in 1973 against Australia in Jamaica. That is the first time I had any international experience. I was 18 years old, approaching 19. BJ pretty much took me under his wing in that specific game,” Holding said.

He described a vivid memory of Julien taking him aside before a team function. “We had a cocktail party to go to and of course it wasn’t the West Indies team– we didn’t have blazers… I was 18, still at school; I had no fancy dress.

“BJ came to me and said, ‘Mikey, you don’t have anything other than this?’ I say Bernard… He took me to his room–I will never forget it–took out one of his pretty shirts and said, ‘Mikey, wear this tonight.’ I’ll never forget that.”

Holding paid fulsome tribute to Julien’s ability and character. “Definitely BJ was such a talented cricketer…he enjoyed himself, yes, and was a talented cricketer. He had a good heart. I can’t remember anybody saying anything bad about BJ besides, ‘Oh, he likes to party.’ That is life,” Holding said.

He stressed that Caribbean culture often fails to celebrate its own and called for better recording and recognition of the region’s sporting history.

On why he has walked away from watching the game, Holding was blunt. “First of all, let me clarify something: I have not watched any cricket for the last four years. If I can’t watch my team and be happy about watching my team I can’t watch anything,” he emphasised. He added that the atmosphere around the modern game— “racism and wars here and wars there”—has made the sport less enjoyable for him. Still, Holding was careful not to judge players who pursue lucrative franchise contracts.

Recalling his own decision to join Kerry Packer’s World Series, he stressed the economic reality for professional cricketers: “…there is no way I am going to tell anybody that I made a mistake playing for Kerry Packer because that changed my life totally.”

Holding also reflected on the demands of fast bowling–the fitness, the running, the strength and the mindset required– and said those qualities remain central to producing seam bowlers who can sustain spells and perform at the highest level.

The broadcast also heard contrasting views from former Jamaica Cricket Association president Billy Haven, who questioned Cricket West Indies’ (CWI) financial position despite World Cup revenues.

Haven said he is unhappy with recent administrative decisions—including the removal of the CCC and the Academy—and questioned Daren Sammy’s suitability for the head coach role.

He also criticised the CWI president’s decision to run for political office, saying it compromises relations with stakeholders. “He said he was dissatisfied with the leadership of the CWI president,” the show reported.

Meanwhile, Bevon Julien, Bernard’s son, told the programme that “not enough was done for his father before he died” and confirmed funeral arrangements. Bernard Julien will be buried on October 18.

Holding’s evocation of an older West Indies era–its camaraderie, its unrecorded stories and the sacrifices players made– contrasted sharply with the administrative and commercial debates dominating Caribbean cricket today.

His verdict was unequivocal; a deep affection for the past, a heartfelt tribute to Bernard Julien, and a disengagement from watching the modern game that he feels no longer reflects the spirit he cherishes.

Daily Express