- Considered one of the quickest bowlers in cricket history, his fastest delivery recorded was 97 miles per hour.
- Hit 36 sixes in test cricket, making almost a quarter of his run aggregate coming from clearing the boundaries alone.
- Was involved in a 10th wicket partnership of 106 with Sir Vivian Richards in an ODI against England at Old Trafford in 1984. Richards scored 189 in the match, a record highest individual score in ODIs till 1997.
- His new ball partnership with Andy Roberts in 33 tests yielded 216 scalps.
- Took 249 wickets at an average of 23.68 in 60 tests. His match figures of 14/149 against England at the Oval is till date the best performance by any West Indies bowler.
- Despite his personal animosity towards English skipper Tony Greig, Holding signed up for Kerry Packer's World Series Cricket citing the better paycheck the otherwise unofficial setup was offering. It turned out to be a profitable move for Holding as the remuneration helped him buy his own house and a new car in his native Jamaica.
- Bowled one of the most famous spells in cricket history at Barbados to English batsman Geoffrey Boycott in 1981. Each of the first five deliveries kept increasing in pace, unsettling Boycott, before the final delivery of the over clean bowled Boycott.
- Announced his retirement as an international commentator in 2021.
- Represented Jamaica, Derbyshire, Canterbury, Tasmania and Lancashire in first-class cricket.
- Made his test debut during the ill fated Sir Frank Worrell Trophy in 1975. He conceded more than 150 runs before finally taking a wicket. Captain Clive Lloyd went over and cheered him up saying "Don't worry, atleast now you have an average".
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