On This Day In Cricket - February 16

16th February is known in cricket history for many unique records and the birthdays of great players. On this day, Lawrence Rowe achieved something in his debut Test that no other batter has matched. Gary Kirsten also played a historic knock of 188* runs in a World Cup match. This date is special because it is the birthday of “Whispering Death” Michael Holding and Indian domestic legend Wasim Jaffer. On this day, a 16-year-old Afghan spinner shocked the cricket world. It is also the birthday of Indian opener Mayank Agarwal. Let us take a closer look at these important moments from February 16.

On This Day - February 16, 1954 - Birthday of “Whispering Death” Michael Holding

Michael Holding was born in Jamaica in 1954. The world knows him as “Whispering Death.” Umpires gave him this name because his run-up was very quiet and rhythmic, but his bowling was extremely dangerous. He suffered from severe asthma as a child, but he overcame it and became one of the fastest bowlers in the world. In 1976, he took 14 wickets for 149 runs against England at The Oval on a flat pitch. This remains the best match figures by a West Indies bowler in a Test match.

Holding was a key member of the West Indies team that won the 1979 World Cup, but he was also the last batsman to be dismissed in the 1983 World Cup final. In 1981 in Barbados, he bowled an over to Geoffrey Boycott that is often called the greatest over in Test history. He surprised Boycott with an increasing pace and clean bowled him. After cricket, he became a fearless commentator. He also wrote the book Why We Kneel, How We Rise to speak against racism and built a strong identity beyond the game.

On This Day - February 16, 1972 - Lawrence Rowe's Historic Test Debut

On 16 February 1972, Lawrence Rowe made his Test debut against New Zealand at Sabina Park in Jamaica and created history. He scored 214 runs in his first innings and then made an unbeaten 100 in the second innings. He became the first and only batsman in Test history to score a double century and a century in his debut match.

Rowe’s performance was so remarkable that he scored a total of 314 runs in his first Test match, which is the highest aggregate by any batsman on debut. His batting was so impressive that his average stood at 314 after that match. Even legends like Gary Sobers said that Rowe could become one of the greatest batsmen of the West Indies.

On This Day - February 16, 1978 - Ranji Trophy’s All-Time Top Scorer Wasim Jaffer Was Born

Today is Wasim Jaffer’s birthday. He is considered a legend of Indian domestic cricket. He came from a simple background and his father was a BEST bus driver. He showed his talent in school cricket by scoring 400 runs in an innings. He started his career in a strong way and scored 314 not out for Mumbai in only his second first-class match. Jaffer is the highest run scorer in Ranji Trophy history with more than 11,000 runs and he has also played more than 150 matches. His batting was a perfect example of the Mumbai school of batting, where players aim for big scores and not just centuries.

Jaffer also made an impact at the international level and scored 1,944 runs in 31 Test matches for India. He scored two double centuries in Test cricket, including 212 against West Indies and 202 against Pakistan. He was one of the main openers in the Indian team that won the historic Test series in England in 2007. After retirement, Jaffer has worked as a successful coach and commentator. He has coached teams like Uttarakhand, Odisha and Punjab Kings, and he has also worked with the Bangladesh Under-19 team.

On This Day - February 16, 1991 - Mayank Agarwal Was Born

Today is the birthday of Indian opener Mayank Agarwal. He made history in 2018 when he scored 76 runs on his Test debut against Australia at the MCG. It was the highest score by an Indian on Test debut in Australia. He is known by the nickname “Monk.” He started his Test career in a strong way. After Sir Don Bradman, he became only the second batsman in history to score two double centuries in just 12 innings.

He created a big impact in domestic cricket while playing for Karnataka. In the 2017-18 season, he scored more than 2,000 runs across all formats. Recently, he suffered a strange accident in January 2024 when he accidentally drank an acidic liquid on a flight and was admitted to the ICU. He recovered from the incident and returned to the field. According to sources, Royal Challengers Bengaluru signed him for IPL 2025. The team included him as a replacement for the injured Devdutt Padikkal.

On This Day - February 16, 1996 - Gary Kirsten Scores 188*, Highest World Cup Score (At the Time)

During the 1996 Wills World Cup in Rawalpindi, Gary Kirsten played a historic unbeaten innings of 188 runs and set a world record. He faced 159 balls against UAE and broke Viv Richards’ World Cup record of 181 runs. At that time, it was the second-highest score in ODI history. He missed Viv Richards’ all-time ODI record of 189 runs by just one run. South Africa scored 321 runs because of his innings and won the match by 169 runs.

Kirsten was one of South Africa’s most dependable batsmen. He became the first South African cricketer to play 100 Test matches. He also scored centuries against all nine Test-playing nations. His 275-run innings against England lasted more than 14 hours and is considered the second-longest innings in Test history by time. After retirement, he became a successful coach. Under his guidance, India won the 2011 World Cup. He has also worked with Gujarat Titans and the Pakistan team.

On This Day - February 16, 2018 - Mujeeb Ur Rahman Becomes Youngest ODI 5-Wicket Taker

On February 16, 2018 in Sharjah, Afghanistan spinner Mujeeb Ur Rahman created history in an ODI match. In the fourth ODI against Zimbabwe, he used his mystery spin and took 5 wickets. He was only 16 years and 325 days old at that time. He became the youngest player in ODI history to take a five-wicket haul in an innings. He broke the record of Pakistan's great Waqar Younis, who achieved this feat at the age of 18 in 1990.

In this match, Mujeeb took 5 wickets for 50 runs in his 10 overs. He destroyed both the top and lower orders of Zimbabwe. Zimbabwe was bowled out for just 134 runs against his spin. Because of his performance, Afghanistan won the match by 10 wickets. He was named Player of the Match. This was his first five-wicket haul in ODIs and it played an important role in Afghanistan winning the series.