‘The experience was good’ — Bishoo

By Avenash Ramzan

Reasons to smile! Devendra Bishoo was one of the few bright spots in a grim West Indies campaign

Given his proven track record on the regional circuit, which subsequently earned him a place on the West Indies ‘A’ team to Bangladesh last year, it was clear that Devendra Bishoo would one day represent the Caribbean side at the highest level.

His boyhood dream and father’s dying wish — for Devendra to play for the West Indies — came one step closer to realisation when the pint-sized, 25-year-old leg-spinner, who has captured 86 wickets from 21 First-Class matches and 29 wickets from 13 Regional One-day games, was named in the provisional 30-man squad for the ongoing World Cup in Asia.

Though he did not make the final 15 for the trip to India, Bangladesh, and Sri Lanka, Bishoo’s day in maroon was always imminent, for he is one of the few genuinely attacking and wicket-taking spinners in this part of the world.

As destiny would have it, the effervescent all-rounder Dwayne Bravo sustained injury early in the West Indies’ World Cup campaign, Marlon Samuels refused the offer to return to international cricket; thus Bishoo was drafted into the squad, albeit with much scepticism from some quarters of cricketing circles.

He arrived on the sub-continent with the burden of high expectations and the weight of negative criticisms on his shoulders. Here he was, a humble young man from the sugar cane village of Albion, Corentyne, Berbice, being entrusted with the biggest task of his fledgling career on the most colossal of events — the Cricket World Cup.

Bishoo warmed the benches for the clash against Ireland, but was called into action against England — the birthplace of cricket. He responded immediately with two wickets in eight miserly overs on the trot, and another in his final two overs, for the fantastic figures of 3-34.

Coincidentally, his maiden international wicket was that of Jonathon Trott – the tournament’s leading run-scorer with 422 runs. Add Eion Morgan and Luke Wright to that list, all frontline batsmen, and one can realize, if not appreciate, the contribution Bishoo made to the team’s cause in his debut outing.

Next up were tournament favourites, India. With a powerhouse batting line-up featuring Sachin Tendulkar, Yuvraj Singh, Gautam Gambhir, Virat Kohli, Suresh Raina, and Yusuf Pathan, Bishoo bowled with precision to end with figures of 1- 48 from 10 overs, including the wicket of skipper Mahendra Singh Dhoni, a wicket-keeper batsman with 5,933 ODI runs at an imposing average of 48.23.

In the ill-fated quarter-final against Pakistan, he conceded 24 runs from his five overs, as the Asian side romped to a 10-wicket victory and a place against India in Wednesday’s (March 30) much-anticipated semi-final showdown in Mohali, India.

“Obviously, I was nervous when the skipper handed me the ball against England,” Bishoo said during an exclusive interview with this publication on March 28. “But Sars (Ramnaresh Sarwan), Shiv (Shivnarine Chanderpaul), and Chris (Chris Gayle) were helping me along, and once I found my line and length, it became easier.”

He added, “The experience was good, I enjoyed every moment of it; the atmosphere was electrifying.”

Bishoo, who became the 167th West Indian to play ODIs, added that the Indian batsmen were the toughest to bowl to, taking into consideration their proficiency against spin bowling.

Nevertheless, he emerged with his reputation enhanced; and with the Indian Premier League (IPL) scouts around, Bishoo is sure to have caught the eyes of a few franchises. In reality, Bravo’s misfortune turned out to be Bishoo’s fortune — a world of opportunities is now at his doorstep.

After all, he’s not a bad T20 bowler, either. With the cherished wicket of Tendulkar when Guyana’s Amazon Conquerors faced the Mumbai Indians in the 2010 Champions League in South Africa, Bishoo is pumped up about his prospects in all formats of the game.

His 22 wickets from 13 T20 games, at an average of 14.18, is testimony to his adaptability to the demands of the modern game, which is becoming increasingly batsman-oriented.

The critics have finally been silenced, but Bishoo is aware that the journey has now started, and the future is his to make or break.