Regardless, his respect (and fear) for Tendulkar's batting skill is very geniune. Not "Indian-media/public-flattering" quotes (or succumbing to Indian media/public pressure) like others.
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An Interview with Ian Bishop
- Thread starter gvenkat
- Start date
bagapath
International Captain
hold on guys... i didnt expect him to name lara or richards as the best of his time because i understand that the question was about his toughest opponent... and i am not suggesting bishop had a hidden agenda in naming sachin... all that i am surprised about is the words he has used to praise sachin are a bit over the top... quite uncharacteristic of a world class fast bowler who has seen a lot of class batsmen in his time... that is all
Apart from Probably Steve Waugh, Allan Border and Javed Miandad I really don't think he bowled to that many world class batters, IIRC He did bowl to Tendulkar when both Bish and Tendy were in their peak in addition to some first class matches and county cricket.. So I would be surprised if he had named any one else other than Sachin.. either way he seemed pretty genuine and prompt in his response.
bagapath, I hope you remember courtney browne dropping Tendy of Ian during the 1996 WC.
bagapath, I hope you remember courtney browne dropping Tendy of Ian during the 1996 WC.
bagapath
International Captain
yeah... i do... bishop is right, though. between 94 and 2001 sachin displayed various shades of his best batsmanship.... he was always attacking, aggressive, in your face, fearless... bishop is likely to have faced the best of sachin firsthand. perhaps, he is more eloquent than others in expressing his opinion. and that could be the reason i was surprised to read such an open fanboyish talk from him on sachin...bagapath, I hope you remember courtney browne dropping Tendy of Ian during the 1996 WC.
what a career sachin has had even after a lull following those peak years.... post 2007, he has been a different kind of genius... innovative, minimalistic, efficient... a very strong candidate indeed, along with five others, as the second greatest after bradman....
honestbharani
Whatever it takes!!!
Bishop actually rated Sachin very high long before mid-90s stats that you are pointing to (by mid-90s Bishop was less than half the bowler that he started off -- after his total change in action from the debilitating back injury that put him out of cricket from 93 to 95).
In fact, Viv Richards mentions in one of his interviews that the first time he heard about the name Sachin as a batsman to watch out for, was from Bishop (in 90 or 91), and it actually suprised Viv because West Indian bowlers (especially as quick and as hostile Bishop was, at that stage) usually never compliment rival batsmen. Bishop apparently bowled to Sachin in a FC match or two at that time, and Sachin just stepped out on the front-foot and repeatedly smacked Bishop back over his head without any regard to Bishop's reputation or speed. At that time, going on the front-foot and consistently attacking a reputed West Indian speedster like that (in any level of cricket!) was virtually unheard of. And Bishop also found out that Sachin was technically (and mentally) too strong and too gifted to be cowed down by short-pitched bowling.
Bishop has oodles of respect for Lara (as a batsman) too. As he mentions in this interview in 2005 that Lara is in the same class as Sachin (when it comes to batting). He also said several times that Lara is mentally the toughest batsman he has known. The thing though is, it is difficult, if not impossible, for most West Indians to separate Lara the batsman from Lara the captain (or Lara the "selfish" team-man). Despite his outstanding batting acheivements, Lara has never been a good influence on his team members[/B.
I have heard Bish say NUMEROUS times that Windies would be better off if the younger players had the same team spirit and attitude as Lara... Granted, he may not have been perfect but I am pretty sure the fault was not all on one side and statements like the above are simply a HUGE distortion of facts or at best, an opinion which is based on very little merit.
Apologies... should have added "IMO" rather than stating Lara as a bad team-man as a fact. Definitely agree that fault was not only on one side. Just that a few former players (some of them legends at that) as well as some of his own team mates (like Ridley Jacobs) did not approve of Lara's attitude, from their own interviews and articles.
honestbharani
Whatever it takes!!!
yeah.. always felt while Lara may have been difficult, it was not exactly impossible to get him with the team. I mean, I see blokes like Marlon Samuels and I can easily see why someone like Lara would get upset with how the youngsters are. But faults on both sides, yeah and it has led to a very deplorable situation for Windies cricket which is the saddest of all..
andyc
Cricket Web: All-Time Legend
Probably need to improve the spelling as well, tbh.
