TWENTY-FIVE-year-old Albion, Berbice, Guyana and West Indies ‘A’ leg-spinner Devendra Bishoo was all excited as he checked in at the LIAT counter yesterday morning to depart for India where he will join the West Indies team as a replacement for the injured Dwayne Bravo. Speaking with Chronicle Sport, Bishoo, who has so far taken 14 wickets in the present West Indies Cricket Board’s (WICB) Regional four-day competition, said it was always a dream to play for the West Indies and he is looking forward to plying his trade on the biggest stage in the gentleman’s game.
Many around the cricket fraternity in the Caribbean were calling for Jamaica’s Marlon Samuels to replace the Trinidadian talismanic all-rounder, but that was not possible as Samuels was not in the Regional team’s 30-man squad listed for the tournament.
“Right now I am excited to say the least. I have always dreamt about playing for the West Indies as all cricketers within the Caribbean would do.
When I got the call to play for the ‘A’ team last year, I realised I was one step closer to making my dream a reality and after taking seven wickets in the series against Pakistan’s ‘A’ team, I knew my chances would increase,” stated Bishoo.
Asked to comment on his bowling in this year’s four-day tournament so far, the right-handed leg-spinner was quick to mention he was bowling too flat.
“I looked back at my bowling performance against Jamaica, I realised I was bowling too flat and needed to give the ball more air. I believe my style of bowling is an aggressive one and given the amount of matches remaining for Guyana to play, my aim was to progress further.
Unfortunately, I am unable to do so now as my dreams became a reality and this opportunity could not come at a better time, as I am feeling fit and ready to go. In fact, I can hardly wait to don the maroon of the senior team and have a go at some of the world’s best,” said Bishoo.
Bishoo began playing the gentleman’s game for Guyana as an Under-19 back in 2003 and following the axeing of Mahendra Nagamootoo and Neil McGarrell, Bishoo joined forces with his Berbice spin partner Veerasammy Permaul to wreak havoc against Regional batsmen.
He rose to higher prominence last year when he claimed the Most Valuable Player award at the inaugural WICB Caribbean Twenty20 competition, piloting Guyana to another historic win and a place in the Airtel Champions League T20 tournament in South Africa.
True to his beliefs, Bishoo can be described as an aggressive leg-spinner in the Caribbean, with his 10 wickets from last year’s Regional limited overs tournament being a testimony to same.
He joins players of the calibre of Rohan Kanhai, Alvin Kallicharran and Roy Fredericks from Berbice, along with Shivnarine Chanderpaul, Ramnaresh Sarwan, Clive Lloyd, Lance Gibbs, Faoud Bacchus, Colin Croft, Roger Harper, Carl Hooper and Reon King as Guyanese who played  at World Cup tournaments with the West Indies team.
The National Sports Commission (NSC) Runner-up Senior Sportsman-of-the-Year and Guyana Cricket Board (GCB) Cricketer-of-the-Year 2010 will arrive in India on Thursday and should go into action against Ireland next week Friday.