Former West Indies cricketer and commentator Ian Bishop has responded to trolls criticizing his commentary and revealed why he will not stop praising and hyping the performances of up-and-coming players through his platform. Ta.
Bishop played 127 matches for West Indies as a pace bowler between 1988 and 1998, taking 279 wickets, but after retiring he turned to commentator. His moving commentary, charismatic voice, and iconic quotes have made him a huge fan favorite over the years. The main feature of his commentary is his knowledge of up-and-coming cricketers and how to uplift them after a good performance.
Bishop was recently targeted by trolls on X (formerly Twitter) during the ICC U19 World Cup semi-final match between Pakistan and Australia.
One user said, “Ali Raza is a superstar… @irbishi said Raza will take the 8th wicket… This #AUSvPAK semi is headed for a cliffhanger.”
In response, another user commented on how a commentator called out all-rounder Carlos Braithwaite to “remember his name” after leading West Indies to victory against England in the ICC T20 World Cup. He mentioned that Bishop has a habit of making everyone into “stars.” After defeating the four-six with a four-ball in the final over.
“Yes, Ian Bishop makes every second player a superstar. yaad hai na “remember the name” Braithwaite kaha hain ab. Don't start horse-hugging all the other players' future stars. Please,” the user said.
In response, Bishop said on Friday that he was “adrift, without ambition” when he first tried senior cricket as a teenager, adding that he was “adrift” with no ambition, compared to seniors such as Phil Symonds, Malcolm Marshall, Joel Garner and Michael Holding. He answered that his words made him believe in himself. . He also said he will never stop passing these words on to other up-and-coming stars.
“When I first played senior cricket with Phil Simmons against Marshall, Garner and later Holding, I was a drifting teenager with no ambition. I heard them say good things about my game. That gave me the impetus to believe in myself and never stop telling others that I will.'' Bishop said.
Notably, India will face Australia in the final of the ICC U19 World Cup in Benoni on Sunday.