Holding: ‘Protect Archer’

West Indies fast-bowling great Michael Holding says the England set-up needs to protect their new speedster Jofra Archer.

Holding, one of the commentators covering the ongoing Ashes series between England and Australia, said everyone was looking at Archer and saying how relaxed he appears despite bowling so swiftly.

But the Jamaican once dubbed “Whispering Death” because of his speed and the rhythm in his approach to the crease, said though Archer might look easy and relaxed, the human body still goes through a lot of strain to bowl that quickly and people had to appreciate that.

Holding said he was worried about Archer’s heavy workload in the second Test, and the short interval between that and the present third Test, which were only three days. But Holding said he was happy to see the emergence of the young Barbadian-born England fast bowler.

“I am glad someone like him has come along, though, so that people recognise what real pace is. Not people bowling 83-84mph and thinking they are fast. What Jofra Archer is doing is real pace. Bowling 85mph is OK but people don’t charge down the pitch to fast bowling and all of those 84-85mph bowlers have had batsmen charging down the pitch at them. No one has done that to Archer and they won’t – they can’t!”