Haseeb Hameed stunned England team-mates with broken finger heroics… and youngster played youth cricket with West Ham striker Ashley Fletcher
Hameed and Fletcher played in same team in Yorkshire as kids
HASEEB HAMEED left his team-mates stunned and awe-struck by his courage as he defied India’s bowlers for 156 balls with a shattered finger.
The England team hierarchy were queuing up to praise the 19-year-old who can now add bravery to qualities such as calmness and composure displayed on this tour.
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Hameed will fly home in the next 24 hours to have a metal plate inserted in his left little finger, which is snapped into two pieces.
Head coach Trevor Bayliss said: “The guys were in awe of his guts and determination. There are plenty of others who have been hit and make a big song and dance about it. He must have a high pain threshold.”
And captain Alastair Cook insisted: “He’s impressed us all with his talent, technique and now his bravery and determination. He showed he will do anything to get out there when playing for England. It was a special knock.”
HAM & FLETCH
HASEEB HAMEED used to play in the same junior team as West Ham striker Ashley Fletcher.
Fletcher’s dad Mick was Hameed’s first youth coach at a team called Farnsworth Social Circle in Bolton.
Our picture shows them together in the under-13s with Hameed front right and Fletcher third from the left in the second row. Mick Fletcher is on the left at the back while Ashley’s brother Elliott is second from the right in the second row.
Fletcher, who joined West Ham from Manchester United in the summer on a four-year deal, played alongside Marcus Rashford for United reserves and England under-20s.
England will summon a replacement from the England Lions squad in Dubai – and it will be one of Keaton Jennings, Daniel Bell-Drummond, Nick Gubbins or Sam Billings.
Of course, Hameed’s refusal to take the soft option when confronted with extreme pain should not camouflage the failings of his team-mates.
In fact, it only goes to highlight them more.
So, while Hameed was able to hang for three hours, Moeen Ali and Jos Buttler tossed away their wickets twice in the same match.
Even Cook must not be absolved from blame. He batted like a drain in both innings, looking remarkably clueless for a man who is now in the top ten all-time Test run scorers.
Joe Root played perhaps the worst shot of the match on day one and was dismissed yesterday when threatening to play a truly significant.
And No.11 James Anderson’s lethargic running brought Hameed’s innings to an end on 59 not out when he looked like adding a few more.
It was the first innings – when five of the top seven were architects of their downfall with sloppy shots – that killed England. They never recovered.
When you win the toss in India, you must take advantage. England possessed neither the skill nor mental toughness to do that.
An eight-wicket defeat in the Third Test means India are dormy two in the series. The maddening thing is that India are beatable and England know it.
Cook said: “We had an opportunity to get ahead of the game and we weren’t good enough to take it. On these wickets, batsmen need to score centuries. You can talk all you want but the top-order has to deliver. There’s nothing more frustrating than knowing you can play better and not delivering.”
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Hameed might actually have broken the finger during the Second Test but he kept quiet about the discomfort leading up to this match. Another blow on the same digit by the ball that dismissed him on Saturday caused even more pain.
A scan on Monday night revealed the full extent of the damage to Hameed’s finger and he was able to find a bearable way to bat after three visits to the nets.
He was unable to open England’s second innings and eventually came out at No.8, having taken no stronger medication than a couple of paracetamol. He concentrated on survival until joined by Anderson, when he went on the attack and manipulated the strike.
Hameed hit a string of boundaries and reached his fifty with a slog-sweep for six off Ravi Ashwin. He again looked more comfortable and with a better method than most of his colleagues.
Bayliss added: “It’s a break that’s all the way through the finger – the finger is in two pieces. The medical people say he could cause even more problems if he gets another knock. So it’s best to get it fixed as soon as possible.
“But, if you’d seen him in the change-room, you wouldn’t have thought there was anything wrong with him.
“It’s a great sign, the sort of attitude you want going forward. He wanted to stay and play the last two Tests, he wouldn’t take no for an answer. His old man said, ‘Just tape it up, he’ll be alright.’
“He went to the nets and eventually worked out a method that was more comfortable with his little finger off the bat. It’s a hell of a skill to have – to change the way you play to combat an injury.”
Even the mighty Virat Kohli was full of admiration and had a long chat with Hameed after the game.
Kohli said: “He showed great character for a 19-year old at this level. The way he played with Anderson showed great maturity. He knew exactly what he wanted to do and, as a captain, you can sense this guy is intelligent and knows the game.
“I think he’s a great prospect for England and he’s definitely going to be a future star if he keeps persisting with his skill. That’s why I patted him on the back. It was an innings full of character and something you need to applaud.”
Praise doesn’t come much higher than that.