by Mayukh Ghosh
About five years ago.
At a Hampshire ex-players reunion.
Old teammates Andrew Murtagh and John Holder were found sitting with their backs to each other.
Silently, Murtagh turned and rubbed Holder's bald head.
In the old days, Holder had a magnificent Afro and Murtagh was fond of ruffling it.
"Murt, is that you?", Holder boomed.
Old mates had a good laugh that night.
More importantly, Murtagh, upon hearing all the stories Holder had to share, decided to write a book on him.
Thankfully.
John Holder spent his formative years in Barbados.
Then he came to London, to join London Transport as a guard on the Tube.
He was always blessed with an athletic body and often enjoyed his cricket back in Barbados.
So, he went for a trial at Hampshire and it worked!
John Holder was a decent bowler. He did alright in the years he played at the top level.
Another of Murtagh's stories to put things in context:
"A friend of mine, not unknown to John, once made this pronouncement to a group of fellow cricketers: "If George Headley was the Black Bradman then John Holder is the black Michael Holding."
The pause was perfectly timed.
"Oh, they're both black!""
Holder's greatest achievement during his playing days was promoting racial harmony in England.
There were better West Indian cricketers who played in England during that time but none could do what Holder did.
And then, a decade or so later, he did something even more amazing when he became probably the only umpire to give Sachin Tendulkar batting advice.
The young man was making his debut and Holder pacified the nerves.
"Take your time" was the gist of it.
Holder could have had a lengthy umpiring career.
But he was too honest to become one.
At The Oval in 1991, he told England captain Graham Gooch, in no uncertain terms, that one of his players was tampering with the ball.
The same was written in the match report.
He didn't officiate in a Test match in the next 10 years.
Then one more in 2001 and that was it.
Murtagh used Skype to get the material for the book.
Holder had little idea about it.
Every time when someone fixed it for him, he laughed before shouting out: "Ah, there you are, Murt. I can see your ugly face at last!"
Not the greatest cricketer.
Not the greatest umpire either.
But of course, none of it really matters, does it?
John Holder was born on March 19, 1945.