By the age of 26, serious back problems had twice brought a halt to one of the most promising fast-bowling careers. From a long straight hustling run and orthodox side-on action Ian Bishop was fast, showing the sort of pace that makes a crowd gasp as the ball thuds into the gloves of a keeper seemingly in another time-zone. There was sharp movement away from the bat too.
After stress fractures of the vertebrae were diagnosed early in 1991, the giant Bishop underwent intensive rehabilitation, prayed a lot and modified his action, and became front-on without losing his "away swing". Two years later he took 6 for 40 on a rapid Perth pitch, to prove he had lost little of his potency.
The following spring he broke down again, and was absent from the Test side for a further two years until another comeback, against England in 1995. Bishop played his last Test, also against England, in March 1998.
He finished with 161 wickets from 43 Tests at 24.27
Bishop has since forged a successful career as a television commentator.
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