Bond’s appointment perfect timing for NZ cricket

Ōtautahi - Former New Zealand fast bowler Shane Bond’s appointment to the Black Caps' coaching setup for the T20 world cup is perfect timing for the future of cricket in Aotearoa.

World test champions New Zealand has an outstanding collection of fast bowlers, but some are approaching the twilight of their careers.

Bond could be so essential to NZ cricket moving forward if he can be retained as a coach with the team, even inbetween Mumbai Indians duty.

New Zealand Cricket (NZC) hopes Bond can give valuable input to the Kiwi players who will be competing for their respective franchises in the IPL.

New Zealand have already announced their squad for the T20 world cup and will play Bangladesh and Pakistan prior to the mega event but the squad will be without their IPL players for those series.

Outstanding Indian ansd Mumbai fast bowler Jasprit Bumrah says he was always fascinated by how ShaBond bowled in his playing days.

Bumrah often talks to Bond even while playing for India during the current test series with England. He says Bond, the bowling coach for the Mumbai Indians, has played a major role in shaping his career. Bond has said Bumrah is the best death bowler in world cricket.

Possibly New Zealand’s fastest ever bowler in all forms of the game, his fastest recorded delivery was clocked at 156.4 kmh against India in the 2003 world cup.

Bond has the second best bowling strike rate of all time in test match cricket, among bowlers who have bowled a minimum of 2500 deliveries. The former police officer is a nephew of Sir Mark Solomon, chairman of Te Rūnanga o Ngāi Tahu.

The 46-year-old will next month resume his role as bowling coach with the Mumbai Indians, led by Rohit Sharma, as the Indian Premier League restarts in the UAE, before he links up with the Black Caps T20 world cup squad a few days later.

Photo: Shane Bond, right, with Kiwi Mitchell McClenaghan at the Mumbai Indians