Cricket: Bond speaks about bomb stress

Shane Bond was relieved to leave India after terrorists denoted a bomb outside the Bangalore Stadium. Photo / Getty Images

New Zealand quick bowler Shane Bond admitted his last couple of days in India were "nervy" in the aftermath of the terrorist attack that saw a bomb detonated outside the stadium in Bangalore.

Bond, who along with Brendon McCullum played for the Kolkata Knight Riders in the Indian Premier League, were thousands of kilometres from the bomb blast that rocked the Chinnaswamy Stadium on Sunday, injuring several people, but felt for his New Zealand teammate Ross Taylor, who was playing for the home side that day.

"I was nervous, but for him it was a different level," Bond, who talked to Taylor by phone that day, said.

McCullum also admitted the apprehension levels rose as the shockwaves from the Bangalore bombings reverberated around the IPL. He had felt safe in Kolkata, where the Knight Riders put on extra security staff, but it was a different matter in other cities.

After the bombing, Bond said he just wanted to get the tournament over and done with and leave.

"It [the Bangalore bombing] definitely made me more nervy. We went over there with the threat, I guess, but when that happened it became a reality.

"We had one game left at that stage and knew we couldn't qualify for the semifinals, so we just wanted to get out of there, really."

All the IPL players were meant to stay on until the closing ceremony on Monday morning, but Bond and McCullum were given dispensation to travel home to their families.

Landing back in Christchurch on Wednesday night, it means they'll travel to Brisbane via Auckland today, spend a night in Queensland before flying to Guyana via Los Angeles and New York, for the start of the world Twenty20 champs on April 30.

Frayed nerves and jetlag aside, Bond has professed himself happy with his form.

"It wasn't too bad, I was pretty happy with the way I bowled. I missed a few games in the middle, which was disappointing, but I came back pretty strongly in the last few games."

With just four overseas players able to be selected, Kolkata preferred spinner Ajantha Mendis on slow decks, something that clearly frustrated the speedster.

"I missed out at Bangalore for whatever reason and that was the quickest wicket we played on, so that was probably a mistake."

Bond took nine wickets in eight matches at a handy economy rate of 7.2.

McCullum was not without frustrations of his own.

He played in five matches, but batted the majority in the unfamiliar position of No 3, as captain Sourav Ganguly played himself as an opener along with Chris Gayle.

"Turning up late didn't help," McCullum said. "It was difficult to come in and dictate where I should bat."

He at least ended the tournament on a high, scoring an unbeaten half century as Kolkata beat finalists Mumbai.