The Cricket World Cup 2019 has so far lived up to its promise of delivering some special moments on the field. But as it often happens when one team ultimately lifts the trophy, the whole tournament can feel like a bit of a blur.
In an effort to really appreciate these moments whether for their spectacular nature or their meaningfulness, we’ve decided to look at them individually as the competition progresses and package our favourites into one series at the end.
These moments can be anything from a remarkable piece of play or wild celebration to a last-gasp victory or funny occurrence. Really, anything that stands out during this World Cup.
So without further adieu, here’s our latest edition of the series – Pakistan opener Fakhar Zaman’s dismissal against West Indies.
WHAT HAPPENED
Andre Russell can be a pretty imposing bowler in full flight and facilitated by overcast conditions at Trent Bridge on Friday, he led a short-ball assault on Pakistan’s top order effectively.
Fakhar faced – literally – the brunt of his menacing bouncers and in the sixth over, was struck head-on by one of them. The ball took a nick off his bat, crashed into his helmet and – against the odds – dropped on to his stumps.
The rattled southpaw, still reeling from a bouncer that was pushing 140kph, was dumbfounded when he looked down and saw his bails dislodged.
SUPER WICKETS ☝ victory for @windiescricket was built on a formidable pace bowling display with Oshane Thomas and @Jaseholder98 doing the bulk of the damage #MenInMaroon #CWC19 pic.twitter.com/ZOoHQinYgY
— ICC (@ICC) May 31, 2019
WHY IT WAS SPECIAL
What makes this dismissal standout is its bizarre nature. Fakhar can count himself unfortunate to have the ball drop down on to the wicket after impacting his helmet. It’s not something that happens very often.
Add to that the ferocity of the bouncer from Russell whose muscle is more frequently flexed with the bat instead and it’s a moment that deserves a rewatch, especially since it set the tone for Windies to bowl out their opponents for just 105.
That first victory feeling! 🙌#CWC19 #MenInMaroon #WIvPAK pic.twitter.com/cVEd0w9eoT
— ICC (@ICC) May 31, 2019
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