The greatness of the West Indian fast-bowler Ian Bishop

[Junaids]

I have often made reference on this forum to my belief that after Malcolm Marshall, Ian Bishop was the best West Indian fast bowler of all until recurrent spinal fractures forced him to change his action and reduce his pace.

When he first started his career, he immediately overtook both Curtly Ambrose and Courtney Walsh in the hierarchy and was the main partner for Marshall.

He was very tall - around 6 foot 5 - but he had a lovely smooth side-on action and generated similar pace and bounce to what Michael Holding had generated a decade earlier, but with the added weapon of late outswing with the new ball.

I can't find any footage of his outswing. But people might be interested to see how he could bowl with the older ball, when he would shorten his length and rough up the batsman.

And this batsman was Robin Smith, a famously good player of short-pitched bowling.

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I think it was a tragedy for cricket that he only had two years at his greatest, right at the start of his career. And I really hope that Pat Cummins - who is quite similar - does not go the same way.

 

[The Googly]

Injury stopped Bishop from being an all time great. Had everything.

 

[Hasan123]

The injuries that ruined Shane Bond and Ian Bishop are cricketing tragedies . Both would have finished as ATGs without those unfortunate and consistent injuries.

 

[kingusama92]

And is one of the smartest cricketing minds the game has seen.

 

[Enigmatic_786]

Unfortunate what happened in his playing career but an excellent Commentator with a lot of insight and nous!

 

[Hasan123]

Forgot to mention what a brilliant commentator Bishop is. Great for the game that he's still involved in some capacity. Think he could make a good coach if he was to taken an interest in that side.

 

[Zaz]

Yeah really unfortunate but injuries were/are a job hazard Theyve happened to many a fast bowler over the yrs n cut many career shorts Our very own waqar went from being the fastest n best bowler in the world to a medium pacer who spent time being dropped from the team because of injuries

Although a very good bowler I very much doubt bishop wouldve eclipsed ambrose as the premier WI bowler of the 90s

 

[IAJ]

Have't seen much of his bowling but a very good commentator.

As for the batsmen, it must have been tough to face these tall Windies' bowlers with that little protection they had.

 

[IAJ]

Yeah really unfortunate but injuries were/are a job hazard Theyve happened to many a fast bowler over the yrs n cut many career shorts Our very own waqar went from being the fastest n best bowler in the world to a medium pacer who spent time being dropped from the team because of injuries

Although a very good bowler I very much doubt bishop wouldve eclipsed ambrose as the premier WI bowler of the 90s

Mohammad Zahid could also have been an ATG...

 

[TQ89]

Heard a lot of good things about him from wasim akram on game on hai.I think he played in that iconic 1988 pak vs wi test series.

 

[Junaids]

I'm not sure why, but having uploaded a series of clips of Ian Bishop bowling it has been replaced by footage which contains more Courtney Walsh than Ian Bishop!

Walsh was about 15K slower, and he just angled it in to the batsman like Colin Croft. Bishop was much faster, and his fuller deliveries left the right-hander.

 

[Robert]

I remember him being seriously quick. That ball that Judgey took on the jaw was evil. Excellent player of fast bowling, nothing he could have done.

 

[Bewal Express]

Bishop had the potential to be up there with Marshall, Ambrose and Holding as a bowler of a generation. His initial burst lasted for only lasted a couple of years and then the injuries started, which culminated in the change of action which made him lose the edge that made him look so well refined. In many ways his early promise and premature injury mirrored that of Waqar, who for me was never the same bowler after injury at the start of the 92 WC