Man of moment
During the clash with India on Sunday, which Australia lost by 36 runs, the Indian fans booed Smith and chanted ‘cheater, cheater’ when the defending champions were fielding. Kohli urged them to calm down and instead cheer his batting. “I just felt for him, and I told him: ‘I’m sorry on behalf of the crowd because I have seen that happen in a few earlier games as well’. In my opinion, that's not acceptable,” the Indian captain said.
Fit to hit
Afghanistan wicket-keeper batsman Mohammad Shahzad has alleged that his country's cricket board conspired to throw him out of the World Cup squad even though he was fit enough to carry on in the mega-event. Shahzad had an aggravated the injury on his left knee during the World Cup warm-up clash against Pakistan but returned to play the team's first two games against Australia and Sri Lanka on June 1 and June 4 respectively. However, the organisers announced ahead of the New Zealand game on June 8 that he was ruled out for the remainder of the tournament due to a “knee injury.” “I still don't know why I was ruled unfit when I was fit enough to play. Some people in the board (ACB) have conspired against me. Only manager, doctor and the captain knew that I was going to be replaced. Even the coach (Phil Simmons) found out much later. It was heart-breaking,” Shahzad, 32, said from Kabul. “I had finished my training (ahead of the New Zealand game) and only after I checked my phone, I found out that I have been ruled out of the World Cup due to a knee injury. None of the players in the team bus knew about it and just like me, they were in shock (at the news),” said the explosive opener.
When asked to comment on Shahzad's startling claims, ACB CEO Asadullah Khan said the wicket-keeper batsman was unfit indeed and therefore was unable to give his best on the field.
Bail them out
More than 10 days have passed in the ongoing World Cup and a lot of drama and actions have been already witnessed in the 13th edition of the prestigious quadrennial event. Be it the harsh treatment with which Steve Smith has been subjected to by the fans in England or the jaw dropping catches at boundary lines, there has been enough for the cricket fans to keep them glued to their television sets across the globe. However, one peculiar thing which has been a constant in this World Cup is the failure of wicket bails to fall despite the ball hitting the stumps. There have been five instances in the 14 matches of the World Cup so far where the ‘zing bails’, (which contain lights that flash when the ball hit the wicket) have refused to dislodge, despite being hit hard by the ball, and thus, denying the bowlers a hard-earned wicket. The zing bails — powered by hidden low voltage batteries — contain a microprocessor that detects when contact between the bails and the stumps has been broken. The zing bails used at the World Cup weigh somewhere between a light bail and a heavy bail which would be used for high wind. On Sunday, David Warner turned out to be the fifth batsmen in the ongoing World Cup who had the lady luck on his side as the bails remained unmoved despite his off stump being clipped by a 140+ Jasprit Bumrah delivery.