Shane Bond retires from Test Cricket

[Eshen]

Shane Bond quits Test cricket

"The hardest thing is that I've always considered myself a Test bowler - and it was such a great feeling to be back in the team last month and playing Test match cricket with the Blackcaps," Bond said.

"I've worked really hard to get back to Test match fitness - it's what I've been working towards for the past two years - and I feel I gave as much as I could. But looking back, so many of my injuries have come during Test cricket. Unfortunately my body just won't let me continue to play at that level, given the workload and demands of Test cricket.

"I don't want to end on an injury and I am absolutely committed to playing for the Blackcaps. This way I hope I've got a better chance of continuing to play. I hope I'll be able to continue to contribute to the team and to New Zealand cricket fans for a while yet.

"It's been a tough call, because Test cricket remains the ultimate form of the game - but I'm comfortable I've made the right choice."

[Eshen]

Spectacular but all too brief

The stat that best sums up Bond’s effect in the New Zealand team is the team’s results in matches in which he played and in the ones he didn’t. The difference, it turns out, is huge. In the 18 Tests he played, New Zealand won ten (though four of those were against Bangladesh and Zimbabwe). They lost only twice, to Sri Lanka and South Africa. During the period since Bond’s Test debut, they played 49 times without him, and managed to win only ten, and lost 24. New Zealand’s bowling average was ten runs lower, and their strike rate was 20 balls better, when Bond was in the line-up.


It’s also interesting to see the effect that Bond had on his bowling mates. Among the specialist bowlers, it seems Bond’s absence effected Daniel Vettori and Daryl Tuffey more than the others – Vettori’s average went up from 24 to 37 in Tests when Bond didn’t play, which indicates the pressure he put on batsmen helped the others bowlers too. Similarly, Tuffey averaged 21 when he played with Bond, and 32 when Bond wasn’t around.

Another stat that demonstrates his match-winning ability is the number of Man-of-the-Match awards he has won – is just 18 matches he won the award four times, including, quite fittingly, in what turned out to be his last Test. (Which makes a good quiz question – how many players have won the match award in their last Test? I don’t the answer myself, but will try and find out. In the meantime, do send in your answers.)

I wish he’d played more Tests against Australia and improved his record against them – in two Tests he averaged 96.33, but those were his first two Tests, so he deserves some slack (and he bowled better than those figures suggest).

He enjoyed his matches against Bangladesh and Zimbabwe – as did most bowlers – but even after removing his games against them, his stats still look good – an average of 26.22, with a wicket every 43.6 balls. For New Zealand’s sake, here’s hoping they find a like-for-like replacement soon.

[cricman]

That one-off Test doesnt look as bleak as it did one month ago.

I'm gonna miss you 007, Easily the Best Fast Bowler to play Tests this decade. ICL took a few years away from him as well