Marred by serious back problems, the world could not witness much of a tall Trinidadian pacer Ian Bishop, whose career was spread across 10 years. Bishop made his ODI debut, ahead of his maiden Test appearance, in 1988 against England in Leeds. Though he made an early entry into the limited-overs format, Bishop tasted more success in the longest format of the game. Making his Test debut against a visiting India in 1989, Bishop made 42 other Test appearances and ended up with 161 wickets. Known for his teasing outswinger, the right-arm fast bowler made his presence felt in just his second Test match when he wrecked the Indian batting line-up with 6 wickets for 87 runs. Bishop was forced to change his action after his troublesome back could not take any more extra stress and after a good rehabilitation, he made a return in 1992 with a remodelled front on action. Unfortunately, the stint was very short and he was forced to be sidelined in 1993 for the next couple of years returning only in mid 1995 before hanging up his boots in 1998.

The ODI stint though was not as great his Test career. He played 84 games and picked up 118 wickets which included just two 5-wicket hauls. His most notable performance came against Pakistan at Brisbane in 1993 bagging 5 wickets for just 25 runs and helped his side bundle Pakistan out for a mere 71. Four years later, he decided to retire from the ODI format.
Like several other former cricketers, Bishop chose to voice his opinions on the game and became a successful commentator. Nowadays, he is a certainty in any West Indies game and also in a few other major tournaments as well.

by Ramakrishnan MS