Shane Edward Bond (born 7 June 1975) is a New Zealand cricket coach and former international cricketer. A right-arm fast bowler, he represented New Zealand in Test, One Day International (ODI) and Twenty20 International cricket between 2001 and 2010, and has been described by commentators as New Zealand's best fast bowler since Sir Richard Hadlee. He currently serves as the bowling coach of the Rajasthan Royals in the Indian Premier League (IPL).
| Full name | Shane Edward Bond |
|---|---|
| Date of birth | 7 June 1975 |
| Nationality | New Zealander |
| Bowling style | Right-arm fast |
| Test debut | 2001–02 season |
| Test matches | 18 |
| Test retirement | December 2009 |
| Retirement from all cricket | 13 May 2010 |
| Domestic teams | Canterbury, Warwickshire, Delhi Giants, Kolkata Knight Riders |
| Fastest recorded delivery | 156.4 km/h (vs India, 2003 World Cup) |
| Current role | Bowling coach, Rajasthan Royals |
Bond came to fully professional cricket relatively late, a factor that, combined with persistent injuries, limited the number of matches he was able to play at the highest level. He played domestic cricket in New Zealand for Canterbury and turned out for Warwickshire in English county cricket.
Bond made his international debut in the 2001–02 season. He soon established a reputation as one of the quickest bowlers of his generation, with his fastest recorded delivery clocked at 156.4 km/h against India during the 2003 Cricket World Cup.
His career was repeatedly interrupted by injuries, principally recurring stress fractures of the back. He underwent surgery in 2004 in an attempt to prevent further breakdowns, but the procedure was only partially successful. In subsequent years he suffered further back problems, knee injuries and an abdominal tear.
Despite a career spanning much of the 2000s, Bond appeared in only 18 Test matches for New Zealand before retiring from Test cricket in December 2009, at the age of 34.
Bond's international career was suspended for 18 months following his decision to join the Delhi Giants of the unsanctioned Indian Cricket League (ICL) in March 2008. New Zealand Cricket terminated his central contract in January 2008 over his ICL involvement. In June 2009 Bond severed his ties with the rebel league and declared himself available for selection for the national side once more.
In January 2010, Bond was selected by the Kolkata Knight Riders for the third season of the Indian Premier League. On 13 May 2010 he retired from all forms of the game and consequently did not feature in the fourth IPL season.
Brydon Coverdale, writing for ESPNcricinfo, described Bond as New Zealand's finest fast bowler. Among bowlers with a minimum of 2,500 deliveries in Test cricket, Bond holds the second-best bowling strike rate of all time, behind the 19th-century English bowler George Lohmann. He is frequently cited among the leading fast bowlers of his era, his statistical record made all the more notable given the small sample of matches he was able to play.
After retiring as a player, Bond moved into coaching. He is currently the bowling coach of the Rajasthan Royals franchise in the Indian Premier League.