Bring up the term ‘fast and furious’ in cricket and one of the names that comes to mind is New Zealand’s Shane Edward Bond. Considered to be New Zealand’s greatest fast bowler since Sir Richard Hadlee and one of the lethal fast bowlers of his era, Shane Bond celebrates his 49th birthday today (June 7).
Born in Christchurch, Canterbury in 1975, Bond made his first-class cricket debut at the age of 21. He played for Canterbury in New Zealand domestic cricket and Warwickshire in English domestic cricket. His impressive performances for the New Zealand Academy against the touring Australian Academy earned him a call-up to the national team at the start of the 2001/02 season.
The dashing fast bowler was capable of consistently bowling at speeds more than 145 km/h. His fastest delivery was recorded at 156.4 kmph against India in the 2003 World Cup. His ability in ball control and accuracy is what sets him apart from other pace bowlers and finds success in all formats of the game.
An action-packed career riddled with recurring injuries
However, injuries haunted Bond throughout his cricketing journey. The recurrence of injuries – back problems, knee troubles, abdominal tears, stress fractures – cut short his prolific career and perhaps prevented him from entering the list of greatest fast bowlers of all time.
Bond represented the Black Caps in 18 Tests, 82 ODIs and 20 T20Is before bringing the curtain down on an illustrious career in 2010. He took 87 wickets in the longer format, including five fifers and a 10-wicket haul. He took 147 wickets with the help of four five-wicket hauls in the 50-over format and 25 wickets in the shorter format.
In 2012, Bond was appointed as the bowling coach of the New Zealand cricket team. He had a fruitful stint with the team and retired from the position after the 2015 Cricket World Cup, in which New Zealand reached the final. The express pacer, who has played eight Indian Premier League (IPL) matches, is currently the bowling coach of Rajasthan Royals (RR).
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