A little before 8pm local time in Melbourne on Sunday, Adil Rashid stepped up to bowl the 12th over of Pakistan’s innings. The 11th, bowled by Liam Livingstone, had just been swatted for 16. After a sluggish start, Pakistan were 84 for two and the tide of the game was beginning to turn. It was at this point, in the white heat of a World Cup final, that Rashid bowled a wicket maiden.
We should probably talk a little more about this. Except it’s not that easy. “The Wicket Maiden Heard Around The World” doesn’t really roll off the tongue. It doesn’t have a score or number attached to it. You can’t capture the brilliance of that over in a statue or a photograph. It ended not with wild celebrations or even a salute to the crowd, but a pat on the back and a medium-size round of applause.
