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Photo: Sandeep Saxena

A Bonding New Zealand cricketer Shane Bond at The Pavilion restaurant in New Delhi’s ITC Maurya

A fan of Bukhara’s butter chicken and chicken tikka, Shane says he writes down the ingredients of his favourites and asks his wife to cook them at home. “It is a delight to have a wife who cooks well.” Unfortunately, wife Tracy could not join him this time as she is in the family way. “I am also a takeaway guy. I love McDonald’s stuff. However, when I am on tour, I avoid their sight,” he quips.

He is curious to know how Indian players handle the media pressure. “They want to know everything and at times go absolutely wrong. Once I fell sick in the West Indies just before a Test match. And the media speculated that I had had fish curry. Everybody close to me knows I don’t touch fish curry.” Shane says his policy is not to clarify everything. “I bond with my close friends and family, and if they know I haven’t done anything wrong, that’s enough for me.”

Shane is not a frequent visitor to the kitchen. “I am one of those who cooks diligently for a day and then is not seen for the next three months in the kitchen. Also, I expect my wife to put all the ingredients in one place.”

Shane’s shining career, in which he became the second quickest to claim 100 wickets in One Day cricket, has been hampered by frequent injuries. With crispy cookies for company, Shane explains, “It is something common to fast bowlers from New Zealand. We are prone to injuries because of the climate. It’s so cold at times that even after bowling a few overs you still feel cold. We find it difficult to adjust in other countries. Also, unlike England, where they plan overseas tours during the off season, the Kiwi Board doesn’t have the financial strength to organise tours during the off season. The long layoff period has an adverse impact on the body.”

Trying some fresh fruits, Shane says he was asked to cut down on his pace to prolong his career. “I refused, because I feel that’s my speciality and gives me space in the team. Even in the Twenty20 format, I try to bowl as fast as possible.” Shane who works as a cop, something which has instilled discipline in his life, says when on the field he makes sure to have enough water and “eat lots of lollies to maintain optimum sugar level.” A rare fast bowler who doesn’t indulge in sledging, Shane says he was bombarded by Brett Lee with nasty words in his very first series. “But I don’t like to give it back in words. However, there is a role for players who can unsettle the batsmen with their words. We had (Craig)MacMillan.” Taking a dig at the rival Indian Premier League, Shane says, “I don’t know how they would inculcate team spirit when the players will keep on coming and going in the midst of the tournament.” He agrees Twenty 20 is the future of the game, but it will eat into the ODIs’ popularity and not Test matches. “Twenty20 has its own nuances and strategies, and I believe it is still a game of specialists. It is very difficult to achieve consistency in this format.”

Getting back to food, he says the mere mention of chocolates makes him excited, but for now control is the word for Shane. By the way, he has a great female fan following in the country. “Oh! Really! I will tell my wife to make her feel jealous,” he signs off.

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