England fast bowler Mark Wood said he had no regrets about persisting with short-pitched deliveries after hitting Afghanistan batsman Hashmatullah Shahidi with a bouncer.

Shahidi had made 24 when he took his eye off a 90 mile-per-hour (145 kilometres-per-hour) delivery from the Durham quick that thudded into the side of his helmet at Old Trafford on Tuesday and saw him hit the turf immediately after the impact.

But instead of retiring hurt, the 24-year-old donned a new helmet and carried on to top-score for Afghanistan, with 76 in a lopsided 150-run loss.

Wood, while concerned enough to check on Shahidi's condition, had no regrets about testing him and the other Afghanistan batsmen with more short-pitched deliveries.

"Well, I was concerned when I first hit him, obviously," said Wood. "It was a bit of a bad blow and then it's out of my hands really. You have to let the medical staff do their thing. I checked he was all right himself, said 'are you OK?'. Then I was back in the game mode."

"Morgy (England skipper Eoin Morgan) wanted me to fire another few down. If that's what the captain wants, you listen to orders," the 29-year-old Durham quick added. Once you know he (the batsman) is all right, it's game time again."

Told he had split Hashmatullah's helmet, Wood grinned: "I'm bowling them quite fast... for a change!"

Wood and fellow England fast bowler Jofra Archer shared five wickets against Afghanistan as they continued an effective partnership that has helped take the hosts to the top of the 10-team World Cup table.

"I thought, collectively, we bowled really well," said Wood. "It was difficult at times because I didn’t feel the Afghanistan batsmen were coming at us and we had to try to mix it up, get them to play a few shots. It was nice to try something different and get a few wickets."

England's victory over basement side Afghanistan was set up by an extraordinary innings from Morgan who, defying a back problem, hit a one-day international record 17 sixes in his blistering 148.

"It was amazing, amazing," said Wood. "I was delighted for him. Coming off his back injury scare and stuff, and not knowing how he would play or feel, I was just astounded by how well he played out there. A lot of the bowlers tend to sit in the back of the dressing room and try and relax but even I came out and watched that because it was great to see on such a big occasion."

Under Morgan's captaincy, England have risen to the top of the ODI rankings since their woeful first-round exit at the 2015 World Cup.

"I know we've played like this for four years now, and there's been some remarkable things," said Wood.

"But to do it in a World Cup game speaks volumes about how Eoin wants the team to play and the values we've kept going throughout those four years."

Feature image courtesy: AFP Photo/ Adrian Dennis

Eoin Morgan said he had exceeded his own expectations after hitting a record-breaking 17 sixes in a one-day international inning during England's World Cup thrashing of Afghanistan.

Morgan's aerial assault helped the England captain to a career-best 148 as the hosts piled up 397 for six at Old Trafford on Tuesday.

Bottom of the table Afghanistan were never in the hunt, with pre-tournament favourites England winning by 150 runs to go top on net run-rate from champions Australia.

"Never have I ever thought I could play a knock like that. I'm delighted that I have," Morgan, who came in at 164-2, told reporters.

"Coming at a time when it was a 50-50 shout whether myself or Jos (Buttler) went in probably helped because after I'd faced a few balls I had no choice."

"I had to start taking risks because of him coming in next. After I got dropped (on 28) it was just a matter of keep going. One of those days."

Read | Eoin Morgan breaks record for most sixes in an innings

Asked about the feeling of hitting a six, Morgan said: "It's like hitting a golf ball off the tee." 

"If you think it's going straight, you're the only person that knows at the time. It's a very special feeling."

Morgan's feat saw him surpass the previous record of 16 sixes in an ODI inning shared by such renowned big-hitters Rohit Sharma, AB de Villiers and Chris Gayle.

"It's weird, very strange," said Morgan. "It's something, along with the innings, that I never thought I'd do."

- Leadership and belief -

The 32-year-old Morgan's leadership and his belief in aggressive cricket have been behind England's rise to the top of the ODI rankings after a woeful first-round exit at the 2015 World Cup.

But when it was suggested the left-hander had ignored his own advice by doubting his ability to play Tuesday's innings, Morgan replied: "To be fair, the last four years, I've probably played the best in my career, but that hasn't involved a 50 or 60-ball hundred. 

"I thought I could -- I would have it in the locker somewhere, but it's never happened. So I sort of gave up on it a little bit."

Morgan's 71-ball masterclass was all the more impressive as he had been doubtful for the match with a back spasm that prevented him from batting during England's win over the West Indies on Friday.

"Turning and stuff there was a little (issue), yeah. It took a bit of time before I could get confidence in moving," added Morgan, who said he had not had any injections on the morning of the game.

Tuesday's innings saw Morgan hit his 13th ODI hundred but 12th for England, after scoring one for his native Ireland.

Read | Eoin Morgan: The visionary who evoked aggression in the Three Lions

Morgan was once best known for unorthodox shots attributed to his childhood exposure to the Gaelic game of hurling.

But a significant feature of his Afghanistan demolition job was the number of textbook straight sixes he hit.

"I think I scored a lot squarer early on in my career whereas I look a little bit more down the ground now," he said.

Morgan made his England debut in 2009 after helping Ireland qualify for the 2011 World Cup.

After a brief 16-match Test career, a key factor reason behind his switch, he became one of England's pioneering limited overs specialists and a regular in the Indian Premier League.

Now he is looking to lead England to their first World Cup title, with Sri Lanka next up for his side at Headingley on Friday.

"If we can produce the level of intensity at which we operated today, it will leave us in a really good place," Morgan said.

Feature image courtesy: AFP / Dibyangshu Sarkar

Afghanistan's Hashmatullah Shahidi said his desire not to worry his mother was the main reason he got back up after being felled by a Mark Wood bouncer in a World Cup match against England on Tuesday.  

Shahidi had made 24 when he took his eye off a 90-mph delivery from the fast bowler that thudded into the side of his helmet and saw him hit the turf immediately after the sickening impact.

It seemed the 24-year-old was about to retire but, donning a new helmet, Shahidi carried on to top-score for Afghanistan with 76 in an otherwise lopsided 150-run loss. 

"I got up early because of my mum," Shahidi told reporters after Afghanistan's fifth defeat in as many matches this tournament.

"I lost my father last year, so I didn't want her to hurt. My whole family was watching, even my big brother was here in the ground watching. I didn't want them to be worried for me," added Shahidi, with the President of Afghanistan, Ashraf Ghani, also in attendance at Old Trafford.

But the fact he was allowed to ignore medical advice is bound to raise questions about how the International Cricket Council are dealing with head injuries at this World Cup. 

"The ICC doctors came to me, and our physios, and my helmet was broken in the middle," Shahidi recalled.

"They just told me just, 'let's go'. I told them I can't leave my team-mate at that moment. My team needed me. I carried on.

"After the match I went to the ICC doctor and talked to them. They took care of me and said it will be fine, Inshallah (god willing)."

Afghanistan team official, Naveed Sayeh, confirmed Shahidi had acted against advice in batting on.

"The doctors told him, 'please come off' and to leave the ground. He told them, 'no, I'm now OK so I'll continue my batting'," Sayeh said.

- Expensive Rashid -

Tuesday's match was tough on Afghanistan bowling star Rashid Khan, who conceded the second-most expensive figures in one-day international history with a return of 0-110 in nine overs.

Yet things might have been different for the star leg-spinner had not England captain Eoin Morgan -- who hit a record 17 sixes in a match-winning 148 -- been dropped off Rashid on 28 when Dawlat Zadran made a mess of a catch at deep midwicket.

"It happens, for any player, so not only Rashid," said Afghanistan captain Gulbadin Naib. "Everyone knows how good Rashid is. 

"I think today was not his day, but it's cricket, so sometimes you do well, sometimes this kind of stuff."

Meanwhile, Morgan insisted England did not have a plan to target Rashid.

"It certainly wasn't deliberate," he said. "We don't go into any game with any preconceived ideas. 

"But like all good players, you probably learn the most about yourself when your backs are against the wall."

Feature image courtesy: AFP / Dibyangshu Sarkar

England set their highest ever score at a World Cup on Tuesday at the Old Trafford Stadium in Manchester when they piled up 387 runs against Afghanistan. Their captain Eoin Morgan led from the front and top scored with a massive century, that included a world record 17 sixes. Morgan’s six-show means that England have now scored in excess of 300 runs in all the games at this World Cup when they have batted first, living up to the billing of being one of the most explosive cricket teams in the globe.

While they may be scoring north of 300 for fun at the moment, that wasn’t always the case with this English side, who have practically come a full circle since their disastrous early exit at the previous World Cup held in Australia and New Zealand. Their average first innings score in World Cup 2015 was a mere 245. They also ended up conceding in excess of 260 runs in two of the three matches they fielded first.

The English batsmen seemed to be stuck in a time void of the 2000s, unaware of how the game had evolved over the years with aggressive opening batsmen and hard-hitting finishers becoming the new normal. The likes of Ian Bell, James Anderson and Stuart Broad, who were their strongest assets in Test cricket, were starting to become the bottlenecks in white ball cricket owing to their predictable, one-dimensional approach.

Listen: From the English Isles

Despite the early World Cup exit, England’s then captain Morgan kept his place and the southpaw batsman showed the world exactly how good his leadership was. Recognizing the need to change their approach to the game, Morgan brought in younger, more attack-minded openers into the fray in the shape of Jason Roy and Jonny Bairstow. With Anderson and Broad being phased out of the ODI setup, more versatile bowlers with plenty of variations were given chances. These included Mark Wood, Tom Curran and most recently, Jofra Archer.

Another important aspect that the 2015 English side lacked was more depth in their all-rounders' department, with Moeen Ali being required to bowl all his ten overs. The England team generally lined up with four pacers and a spin bowling all-rounder in Ali; and struggled on days when one of the bowlers had a bad day. The reintroduction of Ben Stokes into the ODI setup was one of the best decisions taken by their team management. His inclusion meant that the Three Lions line-up had two genuine all-rounders in their top seven, thus, adding more batting strength to the playing XI.

Read: Morgan slams a record breaking ton

The chances paid dividends, as England went on to score in excess of 300 runs in 45 games since the 2015 World Cup, which was more than any other team during that period. The opening pair of Jason Roy and Jonny Bairstow were allowed the license to attack from the start, with the knowledge that the likes of Joe Root and Morgan can stabilize an innings if the openers got out cheaply. Dropping Jos Buttler down to number six after a brief stint as the opener was another masterstroke from captain Morgan, as he allowed England to finish an innings strongly.

The results are for all to see as, under Morgan’s leadership, England went from being ranked ninth in the world to being the top-ranked team in limited overs cricket. He helped change the mentality of the English team, imbibing a sense of aggression and urgency which has made the Three Lions one of the favourites to claim the crown on their home turf.

Feature image courtesy: AFP Photo/ Ishara S.Kodikara

Police were called after members of the Afghanistan squad were involved in an altercation at a Manchester restaurant on Monday.

The incident took place the night before Afghanistan's World Cup match against tournament hosts England at Manchester's Old Trafford.

According to the BBC, the unnamed squad members took exception to being filmed by a member of the public, and confronted him.

Meanwhile a statement from Greater Manchester Police issued Tuesday confirmed that officers attended Akbar's restaurant shortly after 11:15 pm local time (2215 GMT).

"Shortly after 11.15pm on Monday 17 June 2019, police were called to reports of an altercation at a premises on Liverpool Road in Manchester," said a GMP statement.

"Officers attended the scene. No one was injured and no arrests have been made. Enquiries are ongoing."

On the field England, aided by some sloppy Afghanistan fielding, piled up their highest World Cup score of 397-6, with captain Eoin Morgan hitting a one-day international record 17 sixes in his 148.

Feature image courtesy: AFP Photo/ Dibyangshu Sarkar

England captain Eoin Morgan set a new world record of 17 sixes in an individual one-day international innings as the World Cup hosts thrashed Afghanistan by 150 runs on Tuesday.

Victory at Old Trafford saw favourites England go ahead of holders Australia to sit top of the World Cup group table on net run-rate.

Morgan's six-hitting spree in his career-best 148 set the tone for England's team total of 25 sixes, which was also a new ODI innings record.

The Dubliner's innings, which featured 118 runs in boundaries, was all the more impressive as Morgan had been doubtful for this match with a back spasm suffered in England's win over the West Indies, in which he could not bat.

"I'm getting quite old, running around with a bad back, I never thought in my wildest dreams I'd produce an innings like that!" Morgan said.

"I had an extremely bad back after the last game but our medical staff have done wonders with medication and extensive treatment. I have pretty much been living with the physio.

"It was a special day. It's the World Cup. We're loving playing in it. On the big stage, it is nice to do."

Morgan's masterclass was the centrepiece of England's 397-6.

That was the highest total of the tournament so far and the largest England had made at any World Cup, surpassing their 386-6 against Bangladesh in Cardiff 10 days ago.

Even though bottom of the table Afghanistan, suffering their fifth defeat in five matches, posted their highest World Cup total of 247-8 they were never up with the required run-rate.

"We are where we want to be. The next two or three games are pretty crucial," Morgan said of England's World Cup hopes.

"We want to bring our level of intensity to every game. Making that a priority is important to us."

Hashmatullah Shahidi completed a gutsy 68-ball fifty on his way to 76, while his fourth-wicket stand of partnership of 94 with Ashgar Afghan (44) was a record for any Afghanistan wicket at a World Cup.

Earlier, Morgan, dropped on 28, dominated a third-wicket stand of 189 with Joe Root (88), whose contribution to their partnership was a mere 43.

Afghanistan star leg-spinner Rashid Khan set an unwanted record with 0-110 in nine overs -- the most expensive return at a World Cup and second costliest in all ODI cricket.

Morgan's tally surpassed the record of 16 sixes in an ODI innings previously shared by India's Rohit Sharma, South Africa's AB de Villiers and West Indies' Chris Gayle.

He broke the record when he launched Gulbadin Naib for a flat straight hit over the Afghanistan captain's head.

But the very next ball saw Morgan hole out off Naib to end a 71-ball innings that also featured four fours.

Jonny Bairstow had got England off to a solid start, with England accelerating after James Vince fell for 26 when he mishooked paceman Dawlat Zadran to short fine-leg.

In sight of his eighth ODI century, Bairstow's 99-ball innings ended when he chipped a return catch to Naib.

Morgan, after an early mix-up that saw him sent back and get tangled up with opposing skipper Naib, settled in quickly.

He hit Naib for two sixes including a fine drive over long-on. But the left-hander should have been out when he skied Rashid, only for Zadran at deep midwicket to make such a mess of the catch that the ball bounced out of his hands and over the rope for four.

Root was denied a second successive hundred and third of the tournament when he holed out off Naib, whose 3-68 was a creditable return in the circumstances.

But the sixes kept coming, Morgan's 11th bringing up a hundred in 57 balls, with only Ireland's Kevin O'Brien, Australia's Glenn Maxwell and South Africa's AB de Villiers having scored faster centuries at a World Cup.

England set the ODI team record for sixes when Moeen Ali launched the penultimate delivery of the innings, from Zadran, over long-on.

Feature image courtesy: AFP Photo/ Dibyangshu Sarkar

England captain Eoin Morgan set a new world record for most sixes in a one-day international innings as the 2019 ICC World Cup hosts piled up 397 for six in against Afghanistan on Tuesday.

Morgan hit 17 sixes in his career-best 148, with England's total of 25 sixes also a new world record.

Morgan, dropped on 28, dominated a third-wicket stand of 189 with Joe Root (82), whose contribution to their partnership was a mere 33. Afghanistan star leg-spinner Rashid Khan set an unwanted record with 0-110 in nine overs -- the most expensive return at a World Cup and second costliest in all ODI cricket.

Morgan's tally surpassed the record of 16 sixes in an ODI innings previously shared by India's Rohit Sharma, South Africa's AB de Villiers and West Indies' Chris Gayle.

But one ball after launching Gulbadin Naib for the record-breaking six, Morgan holed out off the Afghanistan captain to end a 71-ball innings that also featured four fours.

His innings, which featured 118 runs in boundaries, was all the more impressive as Morgan had been doubtful for this match with a back spasm suffered in England's eight-wicket win over the West Indies, in which he could not bat.

Jonny Bairstow (90) got England off to a solid start after Morgan won the toss, with the home side accelerating after James Vince fell for 26 when he mis-hooked paceman Dawlat Zadran to short fine-leg.

Rank outsiders Afghanistan, yet to win a game at this tournament, did not help themselves with some woeful outfielding.

Bairstow was untroubled until, and in sight of his eighth ODI century, he chipped a return catch to Naib. A visibly annoyed Bairstow walked off having been in command during a 99-ball innings that featured eight fours and three sixes.

Morgan settled in quickly, hitting Naib for two sixes including a fine hit over long-on. But the left-hander should have been out when he skied Rashid Khan only for Dawlat Zadran at deep midwicket to make such a mess of the catch that the ball bounced out of his hands and over the rope for four.

It was a costly error, with Morgan immediately hitting a soaring six. He cleared the boundary again in a 36th over that cost 18 runs. Morgan then went to fifty with his fifth six in 36 balls faced when he pulled off-spinner Mohammad Nabi high into an 8,000-capacity temporary stand.

Root was denied a second successive hundred and third of the tournament when he holed out off Gulbadin, whose three for 68 was not a bad return in the circumstances.

But the sixes kept coming, with Moeen Ali setting a new team record when he launched the penultimate delivery of the innings, from Dawlat, over long-on.

Feature image courtesy: AFP Photo/ Dibyangshu Sarkar

Upsets have long been a part of the World Cup whether it was Sri Lanka, then a non-Test nation, beating India back in 1979, Zimbabwe seeing off Australia in 1983 or Ireland defeating Pakistan in 2007.

But the chances of Afghanistan joining that proud list at this year's edition appear to be receding fast.

Theirs is one of the great fairytale stories of modern sport, with cricket introduced to the war-torn country by returning refugees who had learnt about the game in camps in neighbouring Pakistan.

Twenty years ago, the idea of Afghanistan competing at a World Cup would have seemed outlandish.

Yet such has been their progress they are now a Test nation and are appearing in their second World Cup.

But this edition has been a chastening experience for Afghanistan, with the qualifiers having lost all four of their matches ahead of their daunting clash against hosts England at Old Trafford on Tuesday.

For all the talent of spinners such as Rashid Khan, Afghanistan have not put enough runs on the board -- a problem exemplified by their failure to chase down 187 in 41 overs against Sri Lanka.

Afghanistan have not always helped their own cause in other ways as well. 

Asghar Afghan, their long-serving skipper, was stripped of the captaincy leading up to the World Cup.

Their last match of the tournament, against South Africa, saw Najibullah Zadran -- who scored the team's only half-century in an opening loss to reigning champions Australia -- was inexplicably omitted.

Meanwhile, Mohammad Shahzad, Afghanistan's experienced wicketkeeper-batsman, was sent home early from the tournament with a knee injury, only to insist upon his return that he would have regained full fitness within a few days.

Modern video analysis means that few players are 'unknown', reducing the chances of shock outcomes.

- 'Looking for the spin' -

England beat Afghanistan by nine wickets in a warm-up match, a result that disguised how watchful they were against Rashid's leg-spin.

But a used pitch, which should assist Afghanistan's spinners, will be in operation in Manchester.

"We are looking for the spin, every game," a smiling Gulbadin Naib, the Afghanistan captain, told a pre-match press conference at Old Trafford on Monday.

"Spin is key for Afghanistan, the last three years, how we play our cricket.

"If there's a little bit of spin there, maybe it's a good day for Afghanistan."

England captain Eoin Morgan said he was right to remain wary of Afghanistan.

"They are a strong side and I've said before that they will beat teams at this World Cup," Morgan said.

"They haven't done it yet, so that makes the game a tougher challenge.

"Their three spinners are their strongest component. It's a challenge we'll have to overcome.

"Look over to their nets and they are practising against quicks, while in our net we're practising against spin. It's a challenge for both sides."

The relentless nature of an round-robin World Cup format has worked against Afghanistan.

One justification used by the International Cricket Council for cutting the number of teams at a World Cup to 10 was to reduce outright mismatches.

"We're learning," said Naib. It's a tough format for us, especially here in the World Cup.

"We are looking to win matches, trying to make some good upsets. But it's a tough tournament -- it's high-class, world-class cricket."

Feature image courtesy: AFP / Saeed Khan