They say 'What doesn’t kill you, makes you stronger'. That while some lack the conviction to fight when faced with trying times, others use the hardships thrown their way as a foundry to harden their resolve and come out the other end tougher and shinier than before.

Indian pacer Mohammed Shami falls in the second category. After all the misery he endured, which included troubles of both personal and physical nature, the 30-year-old can proudly carry a badge of honour which not only represents his steely resolve but also sets an archetype.  

Shami’s influx to the biggest stage came two years after making his ODI debut (2013). Taking the center stage alongside Umesh Yadav and Mohit Sharma (who replaced the injured Ishant Sharma in the team), the 28-year-old formed a formidable partnership along with Umesh Yadav and Mohit Sharma as India looked to march towards their third World Cup. Although the dream wasn’t achieved, several milestones were set.

Mohammed Shami joins an elite club as he becomes the ninth player to take a hat-trick in men's World Cups! #CWC19 | #TeamIndia pic.twitter.com/X3wWKCa90B

�?Cricket World Cup (@cricketworldcup) June 22, 2019

For Shami, a four-wicket haul against Pakistan in the 2015 World Cup was arguably the perfect head start for what was about to come. As India went on to dismantle their opponent en route to reaching the semi-final, Shami took 17 wickets in mere six games.

Meanwhile, India’s exit from the grand tournament against Australia was marred by the revelation that the pacer was actually playing through a niggle in his knee the whole time. He was forced to have knee surgery soon after, which kept him out of the sport for almost a year and a half. And it seemed those vexations had no end whatsoever.

After an injury-hit tenure, personal setbacks were waiting right at the door, and before he even got his head out of it, a failed Yo-Yo test in June 2018 left him in the middle of nowhere. Situations like these offer just two getaways: Crib about it until it gets the better of you or crawl up to the point where everything seems reachable. As for the pacer, he knew it was always going to be the latter.

“It wasn't only about failing Yo-Yo test. There are times when your rhythm goes for a toss. I failed, that's a separate thing but then, I have worked hard and improved my fitness. I feel I am in a good zone now as I have lost weight, got (into a) rhythm and everything is working for me.�?/p>

Yet, despite showcasing everything he had, he arrived at the 2019 ICC Cricket World Cup as only the third-choice pacer for India after Jasprit Bumrah and Bhuvneshwar Kumar. But as the latter started failing to cope with the fitness, Shami was brought into contention. And with no pressure to bear, Shami returned the favour in a perfect way possible; a 4-40 against Afghanistan. That was the time where he became only the second Indian to grab a World Cup hat-trick after Chetan Sharma.

Another four-for in the subsequent game, against West Indies, made him the quickest player to reach 25 wickets in the World Cup. As things stand for the paceman, his record in the World Cup reads 31 wickets in 11 games at an average and economy of 15.70 and 5.06 respectively. And despite a record as glorious as this, a notion persisted that he is an expensive bowler, particularly in the death overs. And the irony is, barring the game against the host in 2019 where he picked five, the only World Cup fixture where the pacer failed to take a wicket, India lost the game.

4/35 vs Pak 2015

2/30 vs SA 2015

3/35 vs WI 2015

3/41 vs Ire 2015

3/48 vs Zim 2015

2/37 vs Ban 2015

0/68 vs Aus 2015

4/40 vs Afg 2019

4/16 vs WI 2019

5/69 vs Eng 2019

1/68 vs Ban 2019

And when quipped about the credits of this turnaround, the 28-year-old mentioned himself ahead of everyone. “Yes, I thank the Almighty for giving me the strength to fight everything - from family issues to fitness. I am now only focused on doing well for my country,�?said Shami after defeating West Indies at Old Trafford in Manchester on Thursday.

Well, you just couldn’t agree more, can you?

Feature image courtesy: Twitter / @CricketWorldCup

Few achievements are as satisfying for a bowler as a hat-trick. Nailing that perfect trifecta is one of the most challenging feats for a bowler to pull off and requires a very high level of consistent accuracy over a brief spell.

Those that do manage it are gifted with permanent residence in the annals of cricket lore, with their achievements often popping up in discussions amongst enthusiasts for decades.

However, there is an even more special place reserved for those who have managed to do it during cricket’s most prestigious tournament �?the ICC Cricket World Cup.

With that in mind, and it being the anniversary of one such amazing display by Saqlain Mushtaq, we look back on five of the most memorable hat-tricks pulled off during the World Cup.

Saqlain Mushtaq (1999)

In a group game against Zimbabwe during the 1999 World Cup, Saqlain Mushtaq cleaned up the tail end of his opposition’s batting order with a nifty hat-trick. While it may be argued that his victims -- Henry Olonga, Adam Huckle, and Pommie Mbangwa -- weren’t the most stellar batsmen of the competition, it didn’t detract from his achievement.

Mushtaq’s first two wickets were assisted by Moin Khan at the stumps, while the third was a leg-before-wicket (LBW). This was only the second hat-trick in World Cup history after India’s Chetan Sharma pioneered it in the 1987 edition.

Brett Lee (2003)

One of the most fearsome bowlers in the game, Brett Lee’s guile and accuracy was everything needed of a pacer worth his salt. One of the occasions that this was most apparent was in a super-six game against Kenya during the 2003 World Cup in Durban, where he shattered their top-order line-up of Kennedy Otieno, Brijal Patel and David Obuya on the fourth over. While Otieno and Obuya were clean-bowled by Lee, Patel was caught by Ponting.

Four years later, Lee would go on to take another hat-trick, this time against Bangladesh in a World T20 match, making him the first bowler ever to achieve the feat in both One-day International and T20I formats.

JP Duminy (March 2015)

During the quarter-finals of the 2015 World Cup, South Africa’s JP Duminy became the first bowler from his nation to take a hat-trick at the event after he tore through the Sri Lankan middle-order.

The part-time off-spinner scalped Angelo Matthews, Nuwan Kulasekara and Tharindu Kaushal across two overs, sending the Lankans plummeting to 127/9 before an unexpected downpour ended play.

Mohammed Shami (2019)

At 213/7 in the final over with three balls to go, Afghanistan were tantalisingly close to chasing down the winning target of 225 against India. However, Mohammed Shami burst their bubble with a devastating hat-trick that wiped out their tail-end.

He started off with Mohammad Nabi, who was caught by Hardik Pandya. Nabi was India’s main threat at that point in the match, having consistently racked up 52 off 55. His dismissal sounded the death knell for Afghan hopes, as Shami made quick work of Aftab Alam and Mujeeb Ur Rahman, bowling both men for a duck.

Trent Boult (2019)

Trent Boult became the most-recent bowler to take a World Cup hat-trick, and second to do so after Shami in the 2019 edition of the tournament. Although his side could not secure victory in the group-stage match against Australia, his hat-trick was certainly one to remember.

Coming in the final over of Australia’s innings, Boult’s first victim was No. 3 batsman Usman Khawaja, bowled out just 12 runs short of a century. He followed that up by sending Mitchell Starc (bowled) and Jason Behrendorff (LBW) back to the pavilion for a duck.

Feature image courtesy: AFP

England fast bowler Jofra Archer said he'd "gone mad" looking for his World Cup winner's medal after losing the prized piece of silverware while moving house.

Last year saw the Sussex quick establish himself on the global stage as he helped England win their first men's 50-over global title, with Archer's 20 wickets at 23.05 the most taken by any member of the champions' squad.

The 25-year-old, who only made his international debut in 2019, was also given the daunting responsibility of bowling the Super Over in the final at Lord's.

Archer, however, held his nerve brilliantly as England edged out New Zealand in a thrilling finish decided on boundary countback after the teams' scores were level after both regulation play and cricket's answer to 'extra time'.

But the Barbados-born quick, asked Saturday about where his medal was now, told BBC Radio: "I had it hanging off a portrait someone did for me and sent to me, I had my medal hanging on that.

"I moved flat and the picture is on the new wall but there's no medal. I turned the house upside down for about a week but I still haven't managed to find it.

"I know it should be in the house so I will keep eyes out for it but I've gone mad looking for it already."

Archer, who returned to the United Kingdom from Barbados last month, said the fact all major cricket worldwide, including the start of the English season, was suspended because of the pandemic at least gave him time to continue searching for the medal.

Read | Buttler's World Cup final shirt raises £65,000 for hospital appeal

"There's nothing else to do in isolation. It's all hands on deck."

Although Archer may have seemed the 'go-to' option for England captain Eoin Morgan when it came to picking a bowler for the Super Over, the paceman himself was reluctant to press his own claims given he'd not long been in the side.

Archer, asked when he knew he'd been chosen for the Super Over, replied: "Pretty late. I wasn't sure until I had to go down there and warm up.

"That doesn't mean I didn't want it, I just didn't think I was in a position to volunteer. I was just coming into the team, I'd played the least amount of games in the squad. I didn't think it was my time to volunteer.

"It was the only Super Over of the whole tournament, I never actually thought about it or planned for the situation, it just happened."

Feature image courtesy: AFP / Dibyangshu Sarkar

Former Bangladesh captain Shakib Al Hasan, banned in October for failing to report a match-fixing attempt, raised almost $24,000 for the country's coronavirus campaign by auctioning the bat he used to score 606 runs at last year's World Cup.

The winning bidder at the online auction Wednesday was a New York-based Bangladeshi, said Arif R. Hossain, co-founder of an organisation established to raise funds for charity.

"It was our first initiative. We are really happy by the response," Hossain told AFP.

Shakib Al Hasan, once rated one of the best all-rounders in the game, was banned for two years last year for failing to report being approached by a match-fixing syndicate.

With one year of his ban suspended, he is due to resume international cricket in October 2020.

Hossain said the money raised would be given to a foundation started by Shakib Al Hasan, but gave no other details.

The auction came two days after more than 140 workers at a crab farm owned by Shakib staged a protest to complain about not being paid.

Defying a nationwide virus lockdown, the workers chanted slogans before being dispersed, police told AFP.

Revered in Bangladesh for his cricketing prowess, Shakib said he was not involved in the day-to-day operations of the farm but would take action.

"My co-owners and working partners failed to inform me properly of what was going on over the last few months," he said in a statement.
He said he paid the employees some 1.9 million taka ($23,000) on Wednesday.

Bangladesh has officially reported 4186 coronavirus infections and 127 deaths, but low testing rates have led health experts to believe the real figures are far higher.

Feature image courtesy: AFP / Dibyanshu Sarkar

Ben Stokes has been voted the Professional Cricketers' Association players' player of the year after starring in England's maiden World Cup win and repeating his heroics during the Ashes series.

@benstokes38

@NatWest_Cricket PCA Players' Player of the Year.

The Champion of 2019

Stokes' summer!#PCAawards50 pic.twitter.com/ZQK8AMc7k1

�?PCA (@PCA) October 2, 2019

Somerset's Tom Banton picked up the PCA young player of the year award, while England bowler Sophie Ecclestone collected the women's prize.

@Sophecc19

NatWest Women's Player of the Summer.

The first ever player to win two NatWest Women’s Player of the Summer awards.#PCAawards50 pic.twitter.com/4TPK0MWLHj

�?PCA (@PCA) October 2, 2019

@TomBanton18

PCA Young Player of the Year

How good is this 20-year old cricketer going to be #PCAawards50 pic.twitter.com/fBZo7FdBri

�?PCA (@PCA) October 2, 2019

Highlights of the English cricket season for Stokes included an unbeaten 84 in the World Cup final and a sensational 135 not out to win the third Test against Australia at Headingley. 

All-rounder Stokes, 28, was England's top run-scorer in the Ashes, which ended in a 2-2 draw.

Speaking at the PCA awards ceremony in London on Wednesday, Stokes told the Press Association: "In terms of reflection, I think there will come a time where I will be able to take it all in but I don't think that will come until I retire really because it all comes so thick and fast. 

"This will definitely be a summer that I will be able to look back on forever."

He added: "Winning the World Cup was an amazing feeling to be a part of -- seven weeks of hard toil to then walk away with the World Cup was brilliant, and then a great Ashes series to be part of."

England Test skipper Joe Root paid tribute to his "awesome" team-mate, who is the Test vice-captain.

"He's a massive driving force of this team, one of the senior players across the board," Root said.

Young player of the year Banton has been included in England's T20I squad for the winter tour to New Zealand after amassing more than 1,000 runs across the two domestic limited-overs competitions.

Feature Image Courtesy: AFP/ Glyn Kirk

It looks like New Zealand all-rounder Jimmy Neesham and former Black Caps captain, Brendon McCullum are having a fun time taking a light dig at each other on social media. It all started when a fan posted a tweet on Twitter sharing how Neesham looks similar to Hollywood superstar, Chris Hemsworth.

@JimmyNeesh found someone who could play your role in Black Caps CWC 2019 based movie pic.twitter.com/nN5ltT6DnV

�?radioactive (@melville843nz) September 9, 2019

The fan further went on to say that if ever a movie is made on New Zealand’s 2019 Cricket World Cup journey, the Avenger star can easily play the 28-year-old’s character. The Kiwis missed out on their maiden World Cup win to Englandon the basis of boundaries hit, as the final scores after the main innings and Super Over was at par.

Neesham, who is also known for his witty and hilarious social media posts, retweeted the above, adding his own thoughts to it.

Yep, hell of a way to put someone in a good mood http://t.co/aCpEm7dm4T

�?Jimmy Neesham (@JimmyNeesh) September 9, 2019

McCullum seemed to have taken notice of this and didn’t want to miss out on the opportunity to pull Neesham’s legs. He replied to the above tweet by stating that his resemblance to an alpaca was more accurate.

Prefer this personally ‍♂�?http://t.co/o5QeEHfjPh pic.twitter.com/tFkxwItthp

�?Brendon McCullum (@Bazmccullum) September 10, 2019

Fans did have a laugh at this conjecture, but Neesham is not one to hold back. And as expected, he didn’t disappoint with his reply. He tweeted a picture of the cricketer-turned-coach, where he can be seen using his phone and added an amusing caption to it.

Good to see grandpa finally figured out how to upload a photo http://t.co/Sxmb4WO3dA pic.twitter.com/xJOhWaAoOK

�?Jimmy Neesham (@JimmyNeesh) September 10, 2019

McCullum surely had a laugh reading that, and so did we!

Feature Image Courtesy: AFP/ Michael Bradley

Eoin Morgan would love to add the Twenty20 World Cup trophy in Australia next year to the 50-over version he skippered England to victory in July, but he told the BBC it would depend on clearing up a persistent back problem.

The 32-year-old Irishman had problems with his back during the drawn-out World Cup campaign - going off early in the game against the West Indies with a back spasm. Morgan, who recovered to hit an ODI record of 17 sixes four days later against Afghanistan, pulled out of a match with Sussex last week due to further trouble with his back.

Morgan, who was at Lord's to receive a commemorative cap for his World Cup success over New Zealand, playing 200 one-day internationals for England and captaining them on 100 occasions, said he wanted to captain them but could not commit yet.

"I need more time to think. It's a big decision and a big commitment," he said.

"I just don't want to let anybody down. When you lead, you have to lead from the front, and you have to be physically fit.

"Finding form is another thing. Hopefully, that works itself out."

Morgan, who played for Ireland at the 2007 ODI World Cup but had always wanted to play Test cricket for England, the land of his mother's birth, and eventually did so in 2010, said he wanted the problem dealt with as quickly as possible to leave him time to recover.

"I need time," said Morgan.

"I need the season to end pretty soon so I can have that time to physically get fit and guarantee it's not an injury risk between this year and next, then I can make a call on it."

England's next limited-overs commitment is five T20 internationals on their tour of New Zealand in November. The 50-over side do not play until they tour South Africa in February.

Feature Image Courtesy: AFP/ Glyn Kirk

The umpire who awarded England six runs from a freak overthrow in the last over of the World Cup final has admitted he made an "error" and should have given one run fewer, a report said on Sunday.

A throw to the stumps deflected off the bat of a diving Ben Stokes as he tried to complete a second run and raced to the boundary, with Sri Lankan umpire Kumar Dharmasena awarding six. 

Three balls later the scores at 50 overs were tied as England reached 241 all-out, replying to New Zealand's 241-8. 

It took the nail-biting final to a Super Over which again was tied but England lifted the trophy by virtue of having scored more boundaries.

Critics, including former leading umpire Simon Taufel, said England should have been awarded five runs, not six, as the batsmen had not crossed for the second run at the moment the ball was thrown.

Former Sri Lankan Test player Dharmasena told the Sunday Times he did not have the benefit of television replays which showed the batsmen had not crossed.

"I agree that there was an error of judgement when I see it on TV replays now," Dharmasena, who was umpiring the final with South Africa's Marais Erasmus, told the local Sunday Times.

"But we did not have the luxury of TV replays at the ground and I do not regret the decision I made."

Dharmasena said he signalled six after consulting the other match officials. "So, I did consult the leg umpire (Erasmus) through the communication system which is heard by all other umpires and the match referee," he told the newspaper.

"While they cannot check TV replays, they all confirmed that the batsmen have completed the second run. This is when I made my decision."

Taufel had told Fox Sports Australia the umpires made a "clear mistake" as the batsmen had not crossed for their second run.

Read: England 'mistakenly' awarded extra run in the Final: Former umpire

But the Australian also defended the match umpires, who he said had to make a complicated judgement, and said it would be "unfair" to say the decision altered the outcome of the tournament.

Feature image courtesy: AFP / Dibyangshu Sarkar

Sri Lanka's sports minister has ordered the sacking of the national cricket coach after a lacklustre World Cup campaign that saw just three wins from nine games, officials said Friday.

Chandika Hathurusingha and his assistants would be fired after Sri Lanka's upcoming one-day series against Bangladesh, a Sri Lanka Cricket source told AFP.

Sports minister Harin Fernando has ordered the coaches "should go after the Bangladesh tournament," the official said, adding that Fernando had wanted to make the changes before the World Cup.

Under-pressure Hathurusingha had insisted last week he would stay to see out his contract.

"I have another 16 months," he told reporters after returning to Colombo from the tournament where Sri Lanka finished a disappointing sixth. "I hope to remain until my contract runs out."

Hathurusingha also acknowledged that team management had to "accept responsibility for what happened."

Bangladesh arrive in Sri Lanka on Saturday to become the first foreign sports team to visit the island since the April 21 suicide bombings that killed 258 people.

The series starts on July 26 and ends on August 1 at the Premadasa Stadium in Colombo.

The contracts of fielding coach Steve Rixon, batting coach Jon Lewis and fast bowling coach Rumesh Ratnayake will also not be renewed when they end, according to Sri Lanka Cricket officials.

Sri Lanka cricket was in crisis when Hathurusingha was appointed in December 2017, after a successful three-year spell in charge of Bangladesh.

They had just been hammered in Tests by India at home and away, and played poorly in one-day internationals. Under Hathurusingha, Sri Lanka notched up Test wins against England and Australia.

Feature image courtesy: AFP / Ishara S. Kodikara

An absolute spectacle at Lord’s on July 14 was decided on the back of a boundary rule, as England emerged victorious over New Zealand in the 2019 Cricket World Cup final. Though many didn’t expect, the encounter turned out to be arguably the best and the most controversial finale ever played, replete with both passion and drama.

After almost a theatrical end to proceedings, we have curated something special for all the fans out there. Through the month-and-a-half of action, there were several instances which can well and truly be juxtaposed with a blockbuster movie. Thus, read on to find out which film your favourite team could have easily featured in.

Pakistan: DEJA VU

Starting with the very obvious, Pakistan’s 2019 World Cup tenure will be largely remembered for their strange resemblance to the 1992 squad, who had gone on to lift the World Cup. Much like the film or say the term ‘Déjà vu�? several Pakistani fans had the feeling that the moment has been lived before. Unfortunately for them, reality struck, and the conclusion wasn’t what they were hoping for.

Afghanistan: GONE WITH THE WIND

The title ‘Gone with the wind�?may represent Afghanistan’s swift elimination from the tournament after losing all of their nine league stage fixtures. But in some sense, it also plays a strange correspondence to the plot of the film.

Exactly as how Scarlett O'Hara, the protagonist in the film, takes us through her tragic history during the Civil War and reconstruction, Afghanistan’s brutal history followed by an incredible success story of cricket is a perfect resemblance in that manner.

Bangladesh: I AM LEGEND

Not something particularly related to an apocalypse, but Will Smith’s ‘I Am Legend�?perfectly constitutes how Shakib Al Hasan was the lone survivor in Bangladesh’s team. Right from leading their batting contingent to delivering with the ball, it was all his work on the back of which the Bangla Tigers survived in the World Cup. To add to it, the gloomy conclusion of both the film and Bangladesh’s tenure is indistinguishable as well.

Read | World Cup 2019: Team of the tournament

India: I AM NUMBER FOUR

Branded as firm favourites to win the title, India’s only problem in the tournament was their ‘Number 4�?conundrum, which reminds us of the film, you guessed it - ‘I Am Number Four�? Just as John Smith, the protagonist, India kept on moving from one option to another for their Number 4 slot in order to stay away from the merciless enemies. Contrary to the film though, which has a happy ending, India learnt their lesson the hard way.

Sri Lanka: ONCE A WARRIOR

As the name suggests, Sri Lanka �?once an Asian powerhouse �?now find themselves in the midst of heavy criticism. As of now, the Islanders are nothing but an outcast in the cricket world, just like the Heke family in the film, ‘Once a Warrior�?

South Africa: THE FAULT IN OUR STARS

Excluding the blueprint of terminally ill characters, the title ‘The Fault in Our Stars�?itself justifies South Africa’s 2019 World Cup tenure to mere perfection. Arriving at the scene as one star-studded unit, none of the big names turned up when it mattered the most. But well, there’s always something extremely wicked with South Africa and ICC events.

West Indies: HANGOVER

Let’s just put it this way; a bunch of friends went for a trip and messed things up. One of them leads the group from the front; wants everything to go as swiftly as possible (Jason Holder). While there’s this other guy who’s joined them just for the party (Chris Gayle). And the third one wants to contribute but ends up adding more to the chaos (Shannon Gabriel).

Not to forget the fourth one who remains missing for most of the tenure (Andre Russell).

Case rested.

Australia: AMERICAN BEAUTY

American Beauty’s storyline is solely based on how Lester Burnham, the protagonist, loses the plot after living a near-perfect life for ages. For Australia, they have enjoyed the crown of being the World Champion for far too long. It’s time for a change, just like in Lester’s life. And while there are some who gulp the fact quite too easily, a change in the Australian squad �?especially after the comeback of Steve Smith and David Warner �?has affected the team in one way or the other; much like Lester’s life.

New Zealand: A FEW GOOD MEN

Sometimes, it's difficult to choose who was in the right and who was in the wrong or even who deserved to win or who deserved to lose. That is the case with this New Zealand setup, who ended up losing despite being a bunch of 'A few good men.'

Some say luck. We say a film’s premise.

England: RISE OF AN EMPIRE

Following their 2015 World Cup horror, it was time for Eoin Morgan �?or say Themistocles of �?00: The Rise of an Empire�?�?to reunite the squad of greats to fight against the invasion of other teams (in the film’s context, the Persians). Trying as hard as they can, The Three Lions emerged from the shadows to become the new World Champions.