Shane Bond

Shane Bond

Shane Edward Bond (born 7 June 1975 in Christchurch, New Zealand) is a former New Zealand cricketer and present bowling coach of the New Zealand national team, described as "New Zealand's best fast bowler since Sir Richard Hadlee". He has represented New Zealand in Test, ODI and Twenty20 International cricket as well as playing for Canterbury in New Zealand domestic cricket and Warwickshire in English domestic cricket. Bond is a right-arm fast bowler.

Bond's career was plagued with injuries, chiefly recurring stress fractures of the back. He had surgery in 2004 to try to prevent further injury, but it was only partially successful. In recent years he has suffered back problems, knee injuries and an abdominal tear. These problems, in conjunction with a late start to his fully professional cricket career, have limited his appearances in both international and domestic cricket. Since his debut in the 2001/02 season, he only managed to appear in 18 Test matches for New Zealand. Bond retired from Test cricket in December 2009 at the age of 34.

His international career also suffered a hiatus of 18 months, due to Bond's involvement with the Delhi Giants in, the 'rebel' Indian Cricket League during March 2008, which caused the New Zealand cricket board to terminate his central contract in January 2008. However, in June 2009 Bond severed ties with the rebel league and declared himself available to be selected for the national side once again. In January 2010, Bond was selected to play in the 3rd season of the Indian Premier League for the Kolkata Knight Riders. As of 13 May 2010 he has since retired from all forms of the game and was not played in the 4th season of Indian Premier League. Brydon Coverdale on Cricinfo described him as New Zealand's best fast bowler.

Bond currently has the second best bowling strike rate of all time in Test match cricket (amongst bowlers who have bowled a minimum of 2500 deliveries), behind George Lohmann.