One of the most respected voices in world cricket, Michael Holding has announced his retirement as a commentator and broadcaster.

The legendary West Indies pacer was part of the Sky Sports commentary panel for over 20 years and he was thinking about bringing the curtain down on his stint behind the microphone over the past one year.

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The 67-year-old, who featured as a commentator during the recently held India-England Test series, had earlier said that he won't be able to travel and be on the road like he used to.

"I am not too sure how much further than 2020 I will be going with commentary. I cannot see myself going much further down the road at my age. I am 66 years old now, I am not 36, 46 or 56," Holding was quoted as saying by PTI on a radio talk show.

"I told (Sky) that I could not commit to more than a year at a time. If this year gets totally destroyed, I might have to think about 2021 because I can't just walk away from Sky, a company that has done so much good for me."

Last year, Holding was in the news for openly supporting the Black Lives Matter (BLM) movement in the aftermath of African-American George Floyd's murder by a white policeman. He had delivered a powerful message against racism during the England-West Indies Test series.

Fondly known as 'Whispering Death' during his playing days, Holding had played 60 Tests and 102 ODIs for West Indies, claiming 391 international wickets.

Ian Bishop, another Caribbean commentator, took the opportunity to thank Michael Holding for all the contributions to his career.

“From the very first day I met him, Michael Holding has always been kind, understanding and encouraging to me; even when I messed up. I am privileged to call him friend and mentor. I will celebrate and be thankful the teachings he brought,” Bishop tweeted.

(With PTI inputs)