Fiery West Indies’ pace bowler Shannon Gabriel has been making stupendous strides in the fast lane, reaching the coveted 100-wicket mark.
His record-breaking match haul of 13 for 121 in the drawn second Test match against Sri Lanka in St Lucia has propelled the muscular Trinidadian to number 12 in the International Cricket Council’s Test Player Rankings.
Gabriel’s fantastic feat, which was the third-best bowling performance by a West Indian bowler and best by any fast bowler in international cricket in 17 years, has lifted him to 754 rating points, a jump of 11 places from his previous position of 23.
“It’s a great feeling. If someone told me, ‘Shannon, you’ll play Tests and take 100 wickets’, I would’ve told him, ‘You’re crazy!’. . . I was prepared well for this series, getting myself fit. As long as you get wickets, pains and aches go away,” he said after receiving his Man-Of-The Match award. His captain Jason Holder said his performance “was absolutely outstanding”.
“I don’t think words can describe the spell he bowled in both the first and second innings. He was aggressive. His pace was up. He caused trouble with every spell he came in and bowled and he stood up.” (EZS)
