Ian Bishop: West Indies fast bowler
Full name: Ian Raphael Bishop
Birth date: October 24, 1967
Place of birth: Port of Spain, Trinidad
Major teams: West Indies, Derbyshire, Trinidad and Tobago
Playing role: Fast bowler (right arm), right-handed lower order batsman
Best bowling in a Test innings: 6/40 vs Australia at Perth, 1993
Best bowling in ODIs: 5/25 vs Pakistan at Brisbane, 1993
- Radio and television cricket commentator
Profile
When he was at his best - before injury forced him to remodel his bowling action - there were few fast bowlers faster and more destructive than Ian Raphael Bishop. The tall, well-built Trinidad and Tobago fast bowler was a premier strike bowler for the Caribbean side. He was an heir apparent to the likes of Michael Holding, Andy Roberts and Malcolm Marshall. Bishop had a stately, gentlemanly appearance and a classical high-arm bowling action. However, his gentleness belied his ability to produce deliveries that could hurt batsmen as well as take wickets.
Bishop made his ODI debut against England at Leeds in 1988. He made an immediate impression, taking 2/32 from 11 overs. A year later, the promising pace bowler made his Test debut in the home series Bishop against India at Georgetown. His start to his Test career was fantastic, taking over 60 wickets in his first 13 Tests.
However, bowling at high speeds so often eventually took its toll. Just a few years into his international career, Bishop was diagnosed with stress fractures to his back. In 1991, he was diagnosed with stress fractures in his back. Because of this, he had to remodel his action, bowling more front-on and using a whippy action to generate pace.
Bishop was still able to bowl at pace, but the injuries limited his appearance for the West Indies. Were it not for the stress fractures, he may have played well over the 43 Test appearances that he managed.
A look at his bowling records shows what the West Indies missed. The fast bowler was also a capable lower-order batsman who could occupy the crease and chip in with a few runs as well; his best Test score is 48.
Ian Bishop's bowling records
Match type
| Matches
| Wickets
| Average
| Strike rate
| Economy
| 5W
| 10 W
|
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Tests
| 43
| 161
| 24.27
| 52.2
| 2.78
| 6
| 0
|
ODIs
| 84
| 118
| 26.50
| 36.7
| 4.33
| 2
| 0
|
First-class
| 159
| 549
| 23.06
| 48.3
| 2.86
| 23
| 1
|
List A
| 156
| 194
| 28.21
| 39.8
| 4.24
| 2
| 0
|
Source: Cricinfo
Ian Bishop brought the curtain down on his international cricket career in 1998 - at age 30. His First-class career for TT, West Indies and English County side Derbyshire yielded over 500 wickets as well. After a successful playing career, Ian Bishop became an international cricket commentator, where his insights as a former strike bowler adds colour to the commentary.
