Joshua Bishop: If not now, then when?

It has long been clear to anyone with more than one eye that the 25-year-old is a player of immense all-round natural ability. The cricketing world is his oyster.

In his last three years as a professional, Bishop has taken 91 wickets in 17 first-class games, along with 24 wickets in 16 List A games. This is before we consider his contributions for the West Indies Emerging/Academy sides in their bilateral series. 

For someone who primarily bats at seven or eight, his improving contributions have not gone unnoticed. His last two seasons in first-class cricket have seen him average over 40, with one hundred and three 50s in 16 innings.

Barbados were clearly keeping tabs, as Bishop’s consistent performances finally led to selection for his home nation across both formats. His matriculation from the West Indies Academy is complete. 

Like every talented player in his age group, he now faces an inevitable question: How long before the West Indies selectors come calling? But where is the line for emerging players in terms of biding time and waiting for the right moment?

Few young spin bowlers in the region can boast Bishop’s level of consistency. Regional bully status is reserved for domestic veterans like Veerasammy Permaul, Khary Pierre, Jomel Warrican, and Rahkeem Cornwall, but Bishop has shown progress that belies his years. 

It rather begs the question why Bishop has been overlooked while players like Kevlon Anderson and Kevin Wickham have received commendations and calls for their senior selection?

One answer might lie in the proliferation of slow left-arm orthodox spinners in the region. In the face of a wealth of competition, it could be hard for someone like Bishop, however talented, to make his breakthrough beyond the regional level.

His relative lack of experience offers another answer. In that regard, he sits behind Warrican, Motie, and Pierre in the pecking order, but how long can that argument be used against him, especially when he is a better batter than at least two of them, if not all three?

Skillset-wise, there is no doubt that Bishop is a multi-format bowler. His unerring accuracy with the ball allows him to bowl wicket-to-wicket, and his subtle variation of pace confuses many batters.

Brad Gillings, owner of Bishop’s management company, GGSM Sports, says of his client:

“Joshua Bishop is the complete modern-day cricketer, a true five-tool player with the versatility, intelligence, and adaptability that today’s game demands.

Equally effective with bat or ball, he possesses the skillset to impact matches across all formats while bringing a deep understanding of match situations and momentum. What separates him is not just his talent, but the way he reads the game, adjusts under pressure, and consistently finds ways to influence contests in multiple facets”

In the recent Caribbean Premier League draft, Bishop, who has perversely only played one CPL game in the last three editions, was drafted by Daren Sammy’s St Lucia Kings.

Reading between the lines, do we now have an inkling of the direction his career might take from here? We can assume that Sammy would not have sanctioned that move unless he saw something in Bishop’s potential. 

While an immediate West Indies call-up doesn’t seem to be on the cards, his presence in the West Indies A squad that travelled to Nepal in 2024 certainly suggests he sits among a wider cohort of fancied players.

Yet Bishop’s name was conspicuous in its absence in the recently released 17-man high-performance camp ahead of the Sri Lanka ODI. 

Young batters like Jewel Andrew, Ackeem Auguste, and young leg spinner Vitel Lawes have been given the chance to impress, yet Bishop has not.

Similarly, of the recent top performers in this year's West Indies Championship, it is interesting to see that the new players touted for an international call-up are all young batters. 

From Kevin Wickham to Kirk McKenzie, young batters are the ones generating the international honours hype. Before them, see Kevlon Anderson and Mikyle Louis.

The common thread of the latter two players is that one good season was enough to push them into the limelight. If that’s all it takes, we have to ask why Bishop is not similarly heralded for his consistent top-class performances.

Joshua Bishop is seemingly not in contention for West Indies senior honours this summer, and he is now too old for the West Indies Academy. So how long will he have to wait for his chance at the top table?

His recent bowling outings for the West Indies Academy against Sri Lanka Emerging (home) and against Ireland Emerging in 2024 (away) may have set him back somewhat. With that in mind, I suspect the West Indies hierarchy will want him to get a few more reps in for the Emerging team.

There is a tour of Sri Lanka coming up. If Bishop is selected and performs well, combined with a strong CPL, it is hard to see how he wouldn’t feature for West Indies within the next year or so. 

Ramesh Subasinghe, Bishop’s former coach at the West Indies Academy, certainly doesn’t doubt the talent of the all-rounder. Speaking to CNN, he said:

“Joshua is developing into a genuine all-rounder who understands his game very well and is capable of game-changing spells and innings with the bat. He plays cricket with a positive mindset and has great self-confidence."

I sense we shouldn’t be asking if Joshua Bishop will play for the West Indies, but rather when.