Ian Bishop and a Pakistani journalist YouTuber Waheed Khan had a Twitter exchange following Khan’s criticism of a comment on Ali Raza.
Ian Bishop, renowned for his composed demeanor in cricket broadcasting, found himself compelled to reply to a Pakistani journalist’s comments on a young cricketer during the U19 World Cup tournament. The journalist, known as Waheed Khan, had criticized Bishop for his famous ‘remember the name’ remark about Carlos Brathwaite during the 2016 T20 World Cup final.
In that memorable match, Brathwaite’s four straight sixes in the last over against England secured West Indies the title. However, despite the initial success, Brathwaite’s T20I career saw a decline, with only one instance of surpassing his 34* (10) runs in the next 33 matches, leading to his last international game in 2019.
Despite the criticism, Bishop defended his practice of praising under-appreciated players, stressing that he would continue doing so as a pundit. The current incident involved Bishop lauding a Pakistani youngster, Raza, during the U19 World Cup. Raza’s commendable performance, especially in a match against Australia where his spell went in vain, earned him praise from Bishop, who sees him as a potential future superstar.
Waheed Khan, however, tried to undermine both Bishop and Raza by suggesting that the commentator likes to label every second player as a superstar. Khan specifically pointed to Brathwaite’s post-2016 career as an example of unmet expectations after his amazing feat in the T20 World Cup final in Kolkata.
Bishop hasn’t engaged much in Twitter conversations before, but he recognized the importance of reciprocating with the journalist. He expressed his gratitude in a polite and sophisticated way, mirroring the finesse of his usual commentary.
Ian Bishop replied, “@waheedkhan I was an ambitionless, drifting teenager when I first played senior cricket with Phil Simmons, against Marshall, Garner & later, Holding. I heard they’d said nice things about my game. That inspired me to believe in myself. I’ll never stop passing that on to others.”
Bishop, known for his skills as a right-arm fast-bowler, made a mark in 43 Tests and 84 ODIs, managing to secure a total of 279 wickets. Today, he is recognized as one of the finest commentators in the game. His expertise extends beyond delivering the excitement of the moment, encompassing thorough research and insightful, in-match analysis that adds depth to his commentary.
