ROSEAU, Dominica, CMC – Chart climbing West Indies off spinner Shane Shillingford says he plans on remaining a permanent member of the regional side following an outstanding performance in the just ended two match test series against Zimbabwe.
Shillingford grabbed ten for 93 in the final test last week to take Man-of-the-Match honours and finished with 19 wickets in the series to secure the Man-of-the-Series award.
The Dominican off spinner, dropped from the touring side for home and away series against New Zealand and Bangladesh, says he targeted the first class season to plot his return to the international stage.
“When I was dropped I felt a certain way, but I never let it get to me too deep,” said Shillingford who took 14 wickets in two tests against Australia last year.
“I kept looking forward to the first-class season, to go there and take some wickets and work my way back into the Test team. It was hard work to get back, but now I’m back I plan to stay here.”
Shillingford who climbed 19 players up the ICC rankings for test bowlers last week also smashed the West Indies record for the most wickets in a two-test series, 16, set by former fast bowler Courtney Walsh in New Zealand in 1995. He has put his success down to perseverance.
“I concentrated and was willing to be patient to get my wickets. It was a matter of not being complacent and applying ourselves,” the off spinner said following the second test in his homeland Dominica where West Indies completed an innings and 65-run victory over Zimbabwe to wrap up the series 2-0.
“One of our goals was not to be complacent. We knew once we had them down we had to keep them down and that is what we did.”
Shillingford’s record breaking performance in Dominica coincided with other milestones such as wicketkeeper Denesh Ramdin claiming his 150th Test dismissal and West Indies winning six consecutive Tests for the first time in over two decades.
