WHEN Shane Bond made his debut for New Zealand in the Test series against Australia eight years ago, he was like a whiff of fresh air for a team that seemed forever deprived of a genuine fast bowler. Bond ran in hard and bowled quick, quicker than anyone in the world at one time. And then it all started going wrong. Unable to cope with the demands of international cricket, Bond crumbled.

A spate of injuries — a sore back at times, hurting knees at others, pulled hamstrings and twisted ankles — forced him out of action whenever he regained a semblance of fitness. Here was a bowler that New Zealand hoped would carry them on their back, but Bond’s fitness failed to match those expectations. As Ishant Sharma begins his career, Bond — who has retired from international cricket and is here to play in the ICL — speaks on what the fast bowler should be craving for. Excerpts:

From what you’ve seen or heard about Ishant Sharma, what is your assessment?
Ishant looks like a terrific prospect. To go and bowl at more than 150 kmph on your first overseas tour is never easy, and to be successful against Australia in Australia is even better. I remember when I made my debut in Australia, bowling just fast wasn’t enough, you had to do more than that to battle against them, be consistent, bowl the right lines. Ishant was very good in Perth. He is tall and that’s really good.

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