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'The Hypocrisy Stands Out': Michael Holding Lambasts At England, Australia

image-ljo529ubBen Stokes against a bouncer in Lord's Test [Source: AP Photo]

The ongoing Ashes 2023 series between England and Australia has been in the eye of the storm for more reasons than one. The overutilization of the short-ball in series has been a talking point for former players, where both Australian and English bowlers used the tactic to perfection in the Lord's Test, which concluded last weekend.

Former West Indies bowler-turned-commentator and a part of one of the most fearsome bowling attacks, Michael Holding, has expressed his displeasure about the lack of noise around the usage of bouncers in the Ashes 2023.

It was in the 1932-33 Ashes that England's Douglas Jardine deployed the short-ball tactic against Australia's Sir Donald Bradman, which got coined as 'Bodyline' bowling. 

Holding speaking to Indian Express, stated that people called out West Indies' bowlers for bowling short-ball during his playing days but are silent because the teams currently doing so are England and Australia.


Did we bowl bouncers for hours like this?: Holding

"The hypocrisy of it stands out. At no stage in my West Indies career, did we bowl bouncers for hours like this? At one stage on day 4, there were 98% short-pitched deliveries. Do you think there is going to be any real uproar about this tactic now? It’s England and Australia playing; not the West Indies." 

However, in an attempt to regulate bodyline bowling, MCC made a law that umpires could intervene if they felt the bowler was being relentless in his short balls. 

Australia are currently 2-0 ahead in the five-Test Ashes 2023 series, winning the first and second encounters, respectively.