Ian Bradshaw

Ian Bradshaw has the demeanour and posture of a man well beyond his years, although he is not exactly a youngster. It is not surprising when one considers the responsibility he has carried, as captain of the regionally dominant Barbados team since 2000 - and he was West Indies' Under-19 skipper as well before that. He projects a calm and composed façade, reflecting his disciplined approach to the game, a refreshingly diligent work ethic, and a highly developed cricket brain. He's from the Jimmy Adams mould, seeing consistency as the cornerstone of good performance, and his nippy left-arm bowling provides the kind of ballast needed to anchor the West Indian team. Indeed, after a rich haul of wickets in his initial games, Bradshaw went mostly wicketless in English conditions suited to his style of bowling in 2004, but played a vital role by stifling runs, which gave the other bowlers a chance to express themselves on the field. However, his greatest moment came with the bat when, along with Courtney Browne, he scripted an spine-tingling come-from-behind victory in the final of the Champions Trophy 2004 in England. The good times continued to roll. He averaged a parsimonious 21.45 in the 2006 season in eight games against India and Zimbabwe. The average tipped over 30 in the 2006-07 season, where he picked up 18 wickets in 16 matches, but the competition included Australia, Pakistan and South Africa apart from India.
Vaneisa Baksh February 2007