Feb. 10: Every edition of the cricket World Cup has thrown up a set of players who have risen to the occasion to make the big stage their own. A peek at the statistics bears testimony to what the legends of the game have achieved, but the bowler’s hat-trick has been a feat remarkable for its rarity.
India’s Chetan Sharma was the first one to achieve the feat in 1987, and in the ensuing five editions only four bowlers have managed to match him. Sharma’s achievement though, was overshadowed by Sunil Gavaskar’s only ODI ton, though the former Haryana and India players recalls the day with pleasure.
“The knock from Sunil was special and later during the awards ceremony he showed what a true team man he is when he called up and offered to share the man of the match trophy with me. It was a gesture I will never forget,” recalled Sharma whose victims were all bowled.
It took nearly a dozen years for Sharma to find company. Doosra specialist, Saqlain Mushtaq wove his magic on a battered Zimbabwe lower order to herald a 148-run win for Pakistan. After a long wait, the next two World Cup hat-tricks arrived in a hurry. Chaminda Vaas and Brett Lee, struck three in three in the 2003 edition.
Lee got his feat against Kenya at Durban, and Vaas’ effort came against an outmatched Bangladesh. The first eight-wicket haul in ODIs were registered on this day as the Tigers were bundled for a lowly 38, the match itself lasting only 108 minutes.
The most dramatic and ironically the only Cup hat-trick for a losing side was by Lasith Malinga. He rocked South Africa with four wickets in as many balls spread over two overs and he remains the only one to achieve the double hat-trick (the MCC manual defines four wickets in successive deliveries as one) in ODIs.