Pakistan bowl Windies out for 112

Updated at: 1643 PST,  Wednesday, March 23, 2011

DHAKA: Pakistan dismissed West Indies for 112 runs in the first quarter-finals of the ICC World Cup 2011 here at the Sher-e-Bangla National Stadium, Mirpur on Wednesday.After captain Darren Sammy won the toss, for the first time in the tournament, and decided to bat first, West Indies could not resist against the Pakistan spin attack, led by Shahid Afridi, and were all out in 43.3 overs, giving Pakistan an easy target of 113 Leg-spinner Afridi, already the tournament's leading wicket-taker, took his tally to 21 as he finished with four for 30, including two wickets off successive balls.Off-spinners Mohammad Hafeez and Saeed Ajmal claimed two wickets each for 16 and 18, respectively, while pacers Umar Gul and Abdul Razzaq took a wicket each.Veteran Shivnarine Chanderpaul, brought back to the team after being dropped in the previous match against India, was the only batsman to defy the spinners with a dour unbeaten 44 off 106 balls.Except Chanderpaul, Ramnaresh Sarwan (24) and Kemar Roach (16), no West Indian batsman could get into double figures The West Indies were reduced to 71-8 before a 40-run stand between Chanderpaul and Roach, which helped the former champions surpass their lowest World Cup total of 93 against Kenya in Pune in 1996.The West Indies never recovered from the disastrous start when they lost three top batsmen, Chris Gayle, Devon Smith and Darren Bravo, by the sixth over.Gayle, returning to the side after recovering from an abdominal strain, made eight when he drove Umar Gul to mid-off where Afridi accepted the catch.Hafeez, who shared the new ball with Gul, trapped Smith and Bravo leg-before in the space of four deliveries to open up the middle-order.Shell-shocked by the early reverses, the West Indies groped to 36-3 after 15 overs, with Chanderpaul making just three runs off his first 27 deliveries.Ramnaresh Sarwan and Chanderpaul put on 42 for the fourth wicket before Afridi destroyed the innings with three wickets in 11 balls.Sarwan, dropped by Gul at mid-off when he was on 14, added 10 more to his score before Afridi gained revenge by having him caught at point by Umar Akmal.The Pakistan captain then removed potential dangerman Kieron Pollard (one), caught behind by wicket-keeper Kamran Akmal, and claimed Devon Thomas leg-before first ball.Darren Sammy prevented a hat-trick, but the West Indian skipper lasted only three deliveries before he was leg-before to Ajmal.Ajmal also bowled new batsman Davendra Bishoo later in the same over to continue the West Indies slide.The winners of this tie will face either India or Australia in the semi-finals.

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Individual brilliance gives West Indies hope

Updated at: 0943 PST,  Wednesday, March 23, 2011

MUMBAI: Players who can transform a game with bat or ball through vintage Caribbean brilliance represent West Indies' best opportunity of upsetting Pakistan in Wednesday's opening World Cup quarter-final in Dhaka.Pakistan bring skilled spinners, experience and a rare victory over defending champions Australia to Bangladesh at a tournament set to increasingly favour the sub-continental contenders as the temperatures soar.To combat the pre-match favourites, West Indies plan to recall Chris Gayle and Kemar Roach after injury and illness while the obdurate Shivnarine Chanderpaul is expected to return to the middle order.Gayle can make a mockery of any bowling attack with his reach and his power while Roach is fast and hostile in the best traditions of the great Barbados fast bowlers.West Indies captain Darren Sammy told reporters on Tuesday that West Indies were looking forward to a return to the city where they comprehensively defeated Bangladesh in the first round.He said Gayle and Roach had played a full part in practice while Chanderpaul was likely to return after he was dropped following a form slump.Pakistan captain Shahid Afridi made his name as a limited overs dasher who still holds the world record for the fastest one-day century.Now his role is primarily that of an attacking leg-spinner, whose 17 wickets in the tournament is the highest so far.Pakistan will need all the runs they can get with a semi-final against India in Ahmedabad looming if they beat West Indies and Afridi is conscious that he must start to perform after looking like a novice with the bat."I will be more focused," he promised. "I know how important my batting is for my team." (Reuters)

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Pakistan on rampage against Windies

Updated at: 1442 PST,  Wednesday, March 23, 2011

DHAKA: Pakistan bowlers demolished the West Indies three top-order batsmen as the opponents are reeling at 18 for three in their first ten overs in the first quarter-finals of the ICC World Cup 2011 here at the Sher-e-Bangla National Stadium, Mirpur on
Wednesday.After captain Darren Sammy won the toss and elected to bat, West Indies openers Chris Gayle and Devon Smith opened the innings, with two fours in two overs but pacer Umar Gul got an early breakthrough dismissing Gayle, caught at mid-off by captain Shahid Afridi for eight and in the next over off-break bolwer Mohammad Hafeez struck twice getting Smith out, lbw for seven and Darren Bravo, lbw for first ball duck.The West Indies could make only 16 runs during the powerplay in the first five overs and then could score just two in the next five.Gul claimed one wicket for eleven and Hafeez two for seven in their five overs each as experienced batsmen Ramnaresh Sarwan and Shivnarine Chanderpaul are at the crease 2 and nought.

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West Indies win toss, elect to bat against Pakistan

Updated at: 1306 PST,  Wednesday, March 23, 2011

DHAKA: West Indies captain Darren Sammy won the toss and elected to bat first against Pakistan in the first quarter-finals of the ICC World Cup 2011 here at the Sher-e-Bangla National Stadium, Mirpur on Wednesday.This is for the first time that the West Indies has won the toss in a World cup match.The winners of the match will face either India or Australia in the semi-finals.The West Indies welcomed back opener Chris Gayle and fast bowler Kemar Roach, who both missed the last league match against India due to injury and illness respectively.Also included was veteran batsman Shivnarine Chanderpaul as the West Indies omitted left-arm spinner Sulieman Benn, fast bowler Andre Russell and batsman Kirk Edwards.Pakistan made one change from their winning combination against Australia, bringing in off-spinner Saeed Ajmal in place of left-arm spinner Abdur Rehman.Pakistan: Shahid Afridi (captain), Misbah-ul-Haq, Mohammad Hafeez, Kamran Akmal, Younis Khan, Asad Shafiq, Umar Akmal, Abdul Razzaq, Saeed Ajmal, Umar Gul, Wahab Riaz.West Indies: Darren Sammy (captain), Chris Gayle, Devon Smith, Darren Bravo, Ramnaresh Sarwan, Shivnarine Chanderpaul, Kieron Pollard, Devon Thomas, Kemar Roach, Ravi Rampaul, Devendra Bishoo.Umpires: Billy Bowden (NZ) and Steve Davis (AUS), TV umpire: Daryl Harper (AUS)Match referee: Chris Broad (ENG).

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WC Cricket: Ajmal may be option to counter WI

Updated at: 0604 PST,  Wednesday, March 23, 2011

DHAKA: On the eve of what is Pakistan’s biggest World Cup game since their forgettable appearance in the 1999 final at Lord’s, Pakistan’s players sat over the dinner table at the Sheraton here on Tuesday and vowed to give their best in the quarterfinal clash against West Indies.They received a motivational talk from coach Waqar Younis and Shahid Afridi and later the captain said that the ‘boys are ready for the big game’.“For most of our players, it’s the biggest game of their lives,” Afridi told ‘The News’. “They all know how important this World Cup is for our cricket and for our country and they are all pumped up to give their very best tomorrow,” he stressed.Pakistan were thrashed by Australia in the 1999 World Cup final that turned out to be a huge mismatch and later the Greenshirts flopped miserably in the 2003 and 2007 editions.But this time, when not many gave them much chance, Pakistan have been at their brilliant best and enter the quarterfinals after clinching the top spot in Pool A ahead of co-hosts Sri Lanka and defending champions Australia.“I have played for 14 years and never seen the team train so seriously and focus on their game,” Afridi said while speaking at a press conference here at the Shere Bangla National Stadium in Mirpur. “The entire team is together in the dream to do well in the World Cup.“Our aim at the start was to make the semifinals and I am confident we can achieve that. The expectations back home are high and we are determined not to let our supporters down.”Afridi is looking forward to stick to the ‘winning combination’ that helped the team beat Zimbabwe and Australia in the last couple of games but at the dinner meeting the idea of bringing in off-spinner Saeed Ajmal was seriously discussed.Pakistan team’s think-tank believes that Ajmal can help tackle the four left-handers in the West Indian top order. Ajmal, they believe could be even more useful that left-armer Abdur Rehman, who is likely to sit out of the last-eight clash.Afridi, however, refrained from confirming it saying that a final decision will taken this morning.He made it clear that Pakistan’s won’t be taking anything for granted.“We will not take the West Indies lightly. Any team is capable of winning on their day, there are no second chances in a knock-out match. I think they are a very good side.”Afridi is urging his batters to get their acts together.“Our success so far has been entirely due to the bowlers, who have done a very good job,” said Afridi. “I myself have not batted well and will focus on that tomorrow.”Akmal has scored 211 runs at 52.75 and is Pakistan’s top scorer in the event. Younis Khan and Misbah-ul-Haq scored prolifically when the event began but didn’t make any big contributions in the last three games.The skipper promised he will do better with the bat after contributing just 65 runs in the last six games. “I know how important my batting is for the team and I will try to get some runs on the board.”Afridi made it clear that he and his team is just focusing on today’s game, stressing that he is not concerned about a possible semifinal clash against old rivals India. “Our entire focus is on winning the quarterfinal, I am not even thinking of the next match, whether it is India or Australia,” he said.West Indies bowled out Bangladesh for just 58 on their way to a nine-wicket triumph here at Shere Bangla in a group match but Afridi made it clear that the result has no significance ahead of the quarterfinal.“That was Bangladesh, this is Pakistan,” he said. “It’s not that we are playing for the first time in these conditions. We feel at home anywhere in the sub-continent.”West Indies have lost five of their last six matches against Pakistan and have won only three of their last 16 matches since 2005.Teams (likely):Pakistan: Shahid Afridi (captain), Kamran Akmal (wk), Mohammad Hafeez, Asad Shafiq, Younis Khan, Misbah-ul-Haq, Umar Akmal, Abdul Razzaq, Saeed Ajmal, Umar Gul, Wahab Riaz.West Indies: Darren Sammy (captain), Chris Gayle, Devon Smith, Darren Bravo, Shivnarine Chanderpaul, Kieron Pollard, Devon Thomas (wk), Andre Russell, Sulieman Benn, Kemar Roach, Devendra Bishoo.

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Pakistan to stick with winning combination

Updated at: 1731 PST,  Tuesday, March 22, 2011

DHAKA: Pakistan captain Shahid Afridi indicated on Tuesday he would retain the side who defeated Australia in the World Cup group stages for Wednesday's quarter-final against West Indies.Pakistan took the field for the Australia match without fast bowler Shoaib Akhtar and opened the bowling with left-armer Abdur Rehman as the defending champions were beaten for the first time at a World Cup since 1999."We want to go with the winning combination. We will see, but I think we are happy with this winning combination," Afridi told a news conference.Afridi said the victory over Australia had given the 1992 champions a welcome confidence boost before the knockout stages."We worked hard before this World Cup. We are taking the practice sessions very seriously," he said. "I think we are feeling more confident now, it's a good sign before the quarter-final."Afridi paid tribute to his bowlers, signalling out pace bowler Umar Gul for particular praise."He was struggling a little bit with his ankle before but I think he is 100 percent fit," Afridi said."He is doing a great job with the ball, especially with the new ball."

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Pakistan take on Windies in 1st Q-final

Updated at: 1413 PST,  Tuesday, March 22, 2011

DHAKA: Struggling West Indies need look no further than their manager Richie Richardson for inspiration when they clash with buoyant Pakistan in the World Cup quarter-final on Wednesday.Richardson was captain when the West Indies overturned the form book in the 1996 quarter-final in Karachi and stunned South Africa, who had come through the league phase unbeaten.Brian Lara smashed 111 off 94 balls to fashion a 19-run victory and a similar effort from Chris Gayle, Darren Bravo or Kieron Pollard could upset Pakistan's applecart."Anything can happen in the knock-outs, you don't get a second chance," said the 49-year-old Richardson, who took over as manager for a two-year term in January."Every one starts on an equal footing."Darren Sammy's men will need a desperate last fling at a time when they seem to be falling apart after two inexplicabe defeats against England and India from dominant positions.They were on the brink of victory against England when, chasing a modest target of 244, they were comfortably placed at 222-6 before losing their last four wickets for three runs.Against India on Sunday, they caved in again as eight wickets fell for 34 runs after they were 154-2 and lost by 80 runs.The West Indies, who have now lost 18 successive matches against the leading nations, cannot afford another defeat.All is, however, not over yet for the West Indies.They return to the Sher-e-Bangla stadium in Dhaka where they shot out Bangladesh for their lowest one-day total of 58 in the league to romp home by nine wickets in a match that ended in under two hours.Gayle and key fast bowler Kemar Roach are set to return after missing the India game, the former with a abdominal strain and Roach due to illness.Pakistan, in contrast, have been the revelation of the tournament by topping Group A with five wins in six matches.Shahid Afridi's Pakistan broke three-time defending champions Australia's unbeaten streak of 34 World Cup matches with a four-wicket win in Colombo on Saturday.It was just the tonic Pakistan needed after being stripped of big-time cricket at home due to security concerns in their volatile nation and tainted by an unsavoury spot-fixing scandal.The absence of former captain Salman Butt and pace spearheads Mohammad Aamer and Mohammad Asif due to the controversy was not felt as the team rallied superbly under their inspirational captain.All-rounder Afridi is the tournament's leading bowler with 17 wickets with his fastish leg-breaks, while seamer Umar Gul has kept the pressure on at the other end with 13 wickets.Afridi may have failed with the bat so far with just 65 runs in six games, but young guns Umar Akmal and Asad Shafiq have shone brightly in their first World Cup.Akmal has scored 211 runs at 52.75 and Shafiq averages 124 in the two games he has played so far, while seasoned seniors like Misbah-ul Haq and Younis Khan have lent solidity to the middle-order.Team manager Intikhab Alam, who was coach when Pakistan won the 1992 World Cup under Imran Khan, was delighted with his side's performance so far.The former captain attributed the success to "self-belief, fitness and high energy levels.""We are peaking at the right time," Intikhab said.World Cup teams:Pakistan: Shahid Afridi (capt), Misbah-ul-Haq, Mohammad Hafeez, Kamran Akmal, Younis Khan, Asad Shafiq, Umar Akmal, Abdul Razzaq, Abdur Rehman, Saeed Ajmal, Shoaib Akhtar, Umar Gul, Wahab Riaz, Junaid Khan, Ahmed Shahzad.Coach: Waqar Younis (PAK)West Indies: Darren Sammy (capt), Chris Gayle, Devon Smith, Darren Bravo, Ramnaresh Sarwan, Shivnarine Chanderpaul, Kieron Pollard, Devon Thomas, Sulieman Benn, Nikita Miller, Kemar Roach, Kirk Edwards, Ravi Rampaul, Andre Russell, Devendra Bishoo.Coach: Ottis Gibson (WIS)Umpires: Billy Bowden (NZL) and Steve Davis (AUS)
TV umpire: Daryl Harper (AUS)Match referee: Chris Broad (ENG)Match start:0830 GMTPitch conditions: A slow, sluggish wicket that hinders strokeplay but provides equal opportunities for both seamers and spinners.Pakistan v West Indies head to head:Matches: 114Pakistan wins: 48West Indies wins: 64Tied: 2First meeting: June 11, 1975, Birmingham - West Indies won by one wicket.Last meeting: September 23, 2009, Johannesburg - Pakistan won by five wickets

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India poised for Pakistan semi-final

Updated at: 1359 PST,  Tuesday, March 22, 2011

MUMBAI: An India-Pakistan World Cup semi-final is the most appetising prospect to emerge from a month of preliminary matches which otherwise served primarily to confirm the identity of a predictable final eight.Pakistan and West Indies open the quarter-finals in Dhaka on Wednesday with the winners drawn against the victors of the India versus Australia match in Ahmedabad on the following day.South Africa and New Zealand meet in Dhaka on Friday before Sri Lanka host England in Colombo on Saturday in the battle for the second semi-final spot.Anxious to avoid an early exit for any of the leading contenders after India and Pakistan flew home early from the 2007 tournament, the International Cricket Council (ICC) pitched the 14 teams into a round-robin first round format."We trying to ensure we give every team the best opportunity of remaining in the competition and not losing out just because of one bad game so that the best do go through," ICC chief executive Haroon Lorgat said before the start of the tournament on Feb. 19.The ICC, the television networks and the sponsors got their wish in a tournament which, after finally reaching the knockout stages, now looks the most open since 1999.Australia, aiming for a fourth consecutive title, are not the force of previous tournaments, losing a World Cup match for the first time in 12 years when they were deservedly beaten by Pakistan in the first round.India have a nation willing them to success in the Mumbai final on April 2. But their collective temperament has been questioned after they emerged with only one point from their matches against England and South Africa despite centuries on both occasions to the peerless Sachin Tendulkar.BEST-BALANCED SIDESouth Africa's belief that this may at last be their year after a history of underachievement in the tournament is based on a fine pace attack, able spin bowling, solid batting and their customary slick fielding. They are also the only team to have bowled out their opponents each time in the group stages.Sceptics, though, point to their failure to overhaul a modest target against England as evidence of a continued fallibility under pressure.England, who have looked at times physically and mentally spent since their Ashes heroics, lost to Ireland and Bangladesh but emphasised their fighting spirit under Andrew Strauss in a tie with India and victories over South Africa and West Indies.Winning in Colombo against the 1996 champions still looks like a step too far after Sri Lanka did nothing in the first round to erode pre-tournament assessments that they have the best-balanced side in the competition.With the weather getting hotter and the pitches starting to deteriorate faster, the sub-continental sides have an increasing advantage which Pakistan should exploit to West Indies' cost in Dhaka.Their swashbuckling captain Shahid Afridi has led from the front, emerging as a match winner with the ball by taking 17 wickets with his aggressive wrist spin.The winners of the New Zealand-South Africa semi-final will play the victors of the Sri Lanka-England tie in Colombo on March 29. Mohali will stage the second semi the following day. (Reuters)

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Gayle, Roach fit for Pakistan clash

Updated at: 1311 PST,  Tuesday, March 22, 2011

DHAKA: Struggling West Indies will be boosted by the return of star batsman Chris Gayle and pace spearhead Kemar Roach for the World Cup quarter-final against Pakistan on Wednesday.The duo missed the last league match against India in Chennai on Sunday with Gayle resting an abdominal strain and Roach feeling unwell due to viral fever and a stomach infection.Skipper Darren Sammy said both Gayle and Roach worked out in the nets at the Sher-e-Bangla stadium on Tuesday and expected them to report fully fit for the quarter-final."I liked the way Chris was hitting balls in the nets," said Sammy. "He is very committed to the West Indies cause. Come tomorrow, and I have not doubt both he and Kemar will play."Sammy would not confirm if fast bowler Ravi Rampaul, who took five wickets against India in his first appearance in this tournament, will be retained if Roach returns to the side."We will assess the conditions and discuss it amongst ourselves before finalising the team," he said. "We will put out the best possible team which can deal with the conditions."The West Indies need to be at full strength for the quarter-final at a time when they seem to be floundering after two inexplicabe defeats against England and India from dominant positions.They were on the brink of victory against England when, chasing a modest target of 244, they were comfortably placed at 222-6 before losing their last four wickets for three runs.Against India on Sunday, they caved in again as eight wickets fell for 34 runs after they were 154-2 and lost by 80 runs.The West Indies, who have now lost 18 successive matches against the leading nations, cannot afford another defeat."We did lose our way and can't keep collapsing like that all the time," the captain said. "And we certainly can't do that in a quarter-final."But I am confident we can put the past behind us and hopefully the West Indies will win. It will be an exciting game."The West Indies return to the venue where they shot out Bangladesh for their lowest one-day total of 58 in the league to romp home by nine wickets in a match that ended in under two hours."It is definitely an advantage to have played here earlier," said Roach. "We executed our plans well against Bangladesh and we will take confidence from that."Sammy expected a tough fight against the in-form Pakistanis, who topped Group A with five wins in six matches, including a four-wicket demolition of Australia in Colombo on Saturday.The win ended the three-time defending champions' unbeaten streak of 34 World Cup matches over a 12-year period."Pakistan have been playing good cricket, especially Shahid Afridi who has led from the front," said Sammy. "But we must focus on what we have to do to execute our plans and win the game."This is the quarter-final and everything depends on how we play on the day. It does not matter if you are number one or number eight. If you don't win you are out.

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Ponting could be dumped as captain: report

Updated at: 0831 PST,  Tuesday, March 22, 2011

SYDNEY: Ricky Ponting could be in the final week of his nine-year reign as captain after a troubled build-up to the World Cup, a report said Tuesday, citing a Cricket Australia official.The Sydney Morning Herald said there was stiff opposition at boardroom level to the 36-year-old retaining the job for next month's tour of Bangladesh, although his position as a player was not in jeopardy."We need to be looking at the future. It's time for us to make a change," the newspaper quoted the official as saying.Ahead of the World Cup, Ponting earned the dubious distinction of becoming the only Australian skipper to fail to win the Ashes three times, putting him under enormous pressure.He has also done himself no favours in India, taking a reprimand from the International Cricket Council after smashing a dressing-room TV in a fit of fury after being run out during Australia's World Cup win over Zimbabwe.He was also criticised for angrily throwing the ball to the ground after colliding with teammate Steven Smith during their victory over Canada Then his sportsmanship was questioned when he failed to walk in Saturday's defeat to Pakistan."We're waiting for the next thing to blow up," the official said. "We don't go a game without there being some issues with him."Michael Clarke, who led Australia to an emphatic 6-1 one-day series victory over England to give them a boost after the post-Ashes despondency, is seen as favourite to take his job.The Australians face India in Thursday's World Cup quarter-final in Ahmedabad.

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Cricket WC: Australia win restored Pak image, says Afridi

Updated at: 1523 PST,  Monday, March 21, 2011

COLOMBO: Pakistan's World Cup victory over Australia has restored the team's battered image and boosted their credentials as champions-in-waiting, skipper Shahid Afridi said on Monday. Pakistan upstaged Australia by four wickets to end the defending champions' unbeaten 34-match streak in the World Cup stretching back to 1999. It also meant Pakistan finished top of Group A and gave them a quarter-final clash against the West Indies in Dhaka on Wednesday while Australia tackle India in Ahmedabad on Thursday. "We knew that beating Australia would be very important for us and this win has enhanced our image, sending a good signal to the cricket world that we can win despite our difficult situation," Afridi told. "Despite all the problems Pakistan is blessed with talent and it's because of this talent that we are a dangerous team and can win against anyone. We now hope to carry on the momentum," said Afridi. The Pakistan captain disagreed that the West Indies, who squeezed into the last eight on run-rate, will be easier opponents. "They have qualified for the quarter-finals after some good play, so we have to do well in all three departments because it's a knockout stage from here," said Afridi, the leading wicket-taker with 17 in six matches so far.Afridi said he was not thinking of a potentially high-voltage semi-final clash against India if the two Asian rivals come through their last-eight tests."Our focus is on the quarter-final, we have to win that to reach the semi-final, so we are not thinking that far. First we have to win a must-win match against a dangerous opponent," said Afridi. The winners of the first two quarter-finals meet in the second semi-final at Mohail on March 30. South Africa play New Zealand on March 25 (Dhaka) and Sri Lanka face England (Colombo) in the last quarter-final a day later -- with the winners to play the first semi-final in Colombo on March 29.

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Buoyant Pakistan on pole against rattled Windies

Updated at: 1145 PST,  Monday, March 21, 2011

DHAKA: Confident Pakistan take on the West Indies in the World Cup quarter-finals on Wednesday hoping to continue their winning run in the tournament against a side bruised by recent defeats.The hugely talented, but unpredictable, Pakistanis have been the revelation of the tournament so far by topping Group A with five wins in six matches in the preliminary league.The West Indies inexplicably lost their last two games against England and India from dominant positions to finish fourth in Group B with three wins, the same as Bangladesh, but with a superior run-rate.Shahid Afridi's Pakistan saved the best for the end when they broke three-time defending champions Australia's unbeaten streak of 34 World Cup matches with a four-wicket win in Colombo on Saturday.It was just the tonic Pakistan needed after being stripped of big-time cricket at home due to security concerns in their volatile nation and tainted by an unsavoury spot-fixing scandal.The absence of former captain Salman Butt and pace spearheads Mohammad Aamer and Mohammad Asif due to the controversy was not felt as the team rallied superbly under their inspirational captain.Afridi is the tournament's leading bowler with 17 wickets with his fastish leg-breaks, while seamer Umar Gul has kept the pressure on at the other end with 13 wickets.All-rounder Afridi may have failed with the bat so far with just 65 runs in six games, but young guns Umar Akmal and Asad Shafiq have shone brightly in their first World Cup.Akmal has scored 211 runs at 52.75 and Shafiq averages 124 in the two games he has played so far, while seasoned seniors like Misbah-ul Haq and Younis Khan have lent solidity to the middle-order.Team manager Intikhab Alam, who was coach when Pakistan won the 1992 World Cup under Imran Khan, was delighted with his side's performance so far.The former captain attributed the success to "self-belief, fitness and high energy levels.""There's a lot of positive energy among the boys after the victory over Australia and we will take that into the quarter-finals," Intikhab said. "We are peaking at the right time."The West Indies, in contrast, appear to be falling apart just when it matters most.They were on the brink of victory against England in Chennai when, chasing a modest target of 244, they were comfortably placed at 222-6 before losing their last four wickets for three runs.Against India on Sunday, they caved in again as eight wickets fell for 34 runs after they were 154-2 and lost by 80 runs.The West Indies have now lost 18 successive matches against the leading nations, but Darren Sammy's men cannot afford another defeat in the knock-out rounds.All is, however, not over yet for the West Indies.They return to the Sher-e-Bangla stadium in Dhaka where they shot out Bangladesh for their lowest one-day total of 58 in the league to romp home by nine wickets in a match that lasted under two hours.Batting star Chris Gayle and key fast bowler Kemar Roach are expected to be back after missing the India game, Gayle with a abdominal strain and Roach due to illness.Sammy said he was aware of Pakistan's threat, but remained confident his team can bounce back strongly."Pakistan have done well so far, but hopefully they will have their bad match against us and we will bring our A game," he said.

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India beat Windies in final group match

Updated at: 2127 PST,  Sunday, March 20, 2011

CHENNAI: India set their clash with Australia in quarter-finals after beating West Indies by 80 runs in the final World Cup Group B match here at the MA Chidambaram Stadium on Sunday.Chasing a tough target of 269, the West Indies were all out for 188 runs in 43 overs after opener Devon Smith’s fighting innings of 81 ended in the 31st over. For India, paceman Zaheer Khan was the most successful bowler with three for 26 while Yuvraj Singh and Ravichandran Ashwin took two wickets each.Earlier, a brilliant hundred by Yuvraj Singh steered India to 268 after captain Mahendra Singh Dhoni won the toss and elected to bat first. India got a major blow in the very first over when star batsman Sachan Tendulkar was dismissed by Ravi Rampaul for a mere two.However, Gautam Gambhir and Virat Kohli repaired the damage upto some extent but Gambhir went for 22 when India reached 51.Then Kohli was joined by Yuvraj and both added 122 runs for the third wicket before Kohli departed for 59. Later, Yuvraj completed his 13th one-day century from 112 balls but he was caught and bowled by Kieron Pollard for 113. His innings was laced with ten fours and two sixes.But no other batsman could make any significant score except Dhoni (22) as India were all out for 268 in 49.1 overs.Rampaul bowled splendidly well to grab five wickets for 51 in his ten overs while Andre Russell claimed two.

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India set Windies 269 to win final group match

Updated at: 1805 PST,  Sunday, March 20, 2011

CHENNAI: A brilliant hundred by Yuvraj Singh steered India to 268 against the West Indies in the final World Cup Group B match here at the MA Chidambaram Stadium on Sunday.After captain Mahendra Singh Dhoni won the toss and elected to bat first, India got a major blow in the very first over when star batsman Sachan Tendulkar was dismissed by Ravi Rampaul for a mere two.However, Gautam Gambhir and Virat Kohli repaired the damage upto some extent but Gambhir went for 22 when India reached 51.Then Kohli was joined by Yuvraj and both added 122 runs for the third wicket before Kohli departed for 59. Later, Yuvraj completed his 13th one-day century from 112 balls but he was caught and bowled by Kieron Pollard for 113. His innings was laced with ten fours and two sixes But no other batsman could make any significant score except Dhoni (22) as India were all out for 268 in 49.1 overs Rampaul bowled splendidly well to grab five wickets for 51 in his ten overs while Andre Russell claimed two.India were already through to the quarter-finals before this match, the last of the World Cup group phase, while only a mammoth defeat at the Chidambaram Stadium would prevent the West Indies reaching the last eight.Co-hosts India made two changes after opening batsman Virender Sehwag was ruled out with a knee injury.Suresh Raina replaced Sehwag while off-spinner Ravichandran Ashwin, on his home ground, was handed a tournament debut in place of left-arm fast bowler Ashish Nehra. For the West Indies, opening batsman Chris Gayle, who had been an injury doubt, was replaced by Kirk Edwards while Ravi Rampaul came in for fast bowler Kemar Roach.Victory for India would see them play champions Australia in the last eight while defeat would see them face fellow hosts Sri Lanka.But if the West Indies win they will play Australia while a defeat, assuming it was not by a colossal margin, would see them facing Pakistan.

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Zimbabwe crush Kenya by161 runs

Updated at: 1613 PST,  Sunday, March 20, 2011

KOLKATA: Zimbabwe recoded a massive 161-run victory against their African neighbours Kenya in the last Group A match of the World Cup here at the Eden Gardens on Sunday Zimbabwe showed their batting prowess to post 308-6, their highest total of the tournament, with man-of-the-match Craig Ervine (66), Vusimuzi Sibanda (61) and Tatenda Taibu (53), all making the most of a mediocre Kenyan attack.Kenya, who have looked out of their depth on the Indian subcontinent, losing all six of their matches, put in another disappointing batting performance, slumping to 147 all out in 36 overs at Kolkata's Eden Gardens.Nehemiah Odhiambo (44 not out), Rakep Patel (24) and opener Alex Obanda (23) were the mainstays of their batting.Left-arm spinner Raymond Price, who shared the new ball, off-spinner Greg Lamb and leg-spinner Graeme Cremer took two wickets apiece for Zimbabwe.Both African nations were already out of contention for a place in the quarter-finals, but Zimbabwe had the consolation of ending their World Cup campaign with two wins in six matches.Zimbabwe were earlier struggling at 36-2 after electing to bat, but Sibanda steadied the innings with a 110-run stand for the third wicket with Taibu, who also completed 3,000 one-day runs during his half-century.Ervine and skipper Elton Chigumbura (38) then added 105 for the fifth wicket as Zimbabwe plundered 104 runs in the last 10 overs, with Prosper Utseya (19 not out) smashing three fours and a six in seamer Elijah Otieno's final over.Left-handed Ervine, who cracked one six and nine fours in his 54-ball knock, survived a stumping chance on 15 off spinner James Ngoche as stand-in wicket-keeper Patel failed to collect the ball.Patel kept wicket for a brief spell in place of regular wicket-keeper David Obuya, who suffered an injury while trying to stop a wide delivery.Veteran all-rounder Steve Tikolo, making his last World Cup appearance, led Kenya in the absence of Jimmy Kamande, who was ruled out of the match due to a knee injury.Sibanda hit one six and seven fours in his 57-ball knock before being run out following a mix-up with Taibu.hit seven fours before being trapped leg-before by Ngoche.

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India to bat against Windies in last group match

Updated at: 1338 PST,  Sunday, March 20, 2011

CHENNAI: India captain Mahendra Singh Dhoni won the toss and elected to bat first against the West Indies in the final World Cup Group B match here at the MA Chidambaram Stadium on Sunday India were already through to the quarter-finals before this match, the last of the World Cup group phase, while only a mammoth defeat at the Chidambaram Stadium would prevent the West Indies reaching the last eight.Co-hosts India made two changes after opening batsman Virender Sehwag was ruled out with a knee injury.Suresh Raina replaced Sehwag while off-spinner Ravichandran Ashwin, on his home ground, was handed a tournament debut in place of left-arm fast bowler Ashish Nehra. For the West Indies, opening batsman Chris Gayle, who had been an injury doubt, was replaced by Kirk Edwards while Ravi Rampaul came in for fast bowler Kemar Roach.India batsman Sachin Tendulkar headed into the match needing just one more hundred to become the first player to score a hundred international centuries.Victory for India would see them play champions Australia in the last eight while defeat would see them face fellow hosts Sri Lanka.But if the West Indies win they will play Australia while a defeat, assuming it was not by a colossal margin, would see them facing Pakistan.India: Sachin Tendulkar, Gautam Gambhir, Virat Kohli, Yuvraj Singh, Mahendra Singh Dhoni (capt/wkt), Suresh Raina, Yusuf Pathan, Ravichandran Ashwin, Harbhajan Singh, Zaheer Khan, Munaf PatelWest Indies: Devon Smith, Kirk Edwards, Darren Bravo, Ramnaresh Sarwan, Kieron Pollard, Devon Thomas (wkt), Darren Sammy (capt), Andre Russell, Sulieman Benn, Devendra Bishoo, Ravi RampaulUmpires: Steve Davis (AUS) and Simon Taufel (AUS), TV umpire: Bruce Oxenford (AUS)Match referee: Roshan Mahanama (SL)

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Zimbabwe plunder 308-6 against Kenya

Updated at: 1255 PST,  Sunday, March 20, 2011

KOLKATA: Craig Ervine and Vusimuzi Sibanda hit brisk half-centuries as Zimbabwe recovered from early setbacks to post a challenging 308-6 against Kenya in their last World Cup match on Sunday.Zimbabwe were struggling at 36-2 after electing to bat at Kolkata's Eden Gardens, but Sibanda (61) steadied the innings with a 110-run stand for the third wicket with Tatenda Taibu (53).Ervine and skipper Elton Chigumbura (38) then added 105 for the fifth wicket as Zimbabwe crossed the 300-mark for the first time in the tournament.Zimbabwe plundered 104 runs in the last 10 overs, with Prosper Utseya (19 not out) smashing three fours and a six in the final over bowled by seamer Elijah Otieno.Both the African nations are out of contention for a place in the quarter-finals, with Zimbabwe having earned two points and Kenya none after five matches before this game.Left-handed Ervine, who cracked one six and nine fours in his 54-ball knock, survived a stumping chance off spinner James Ngoche as stand-in wicket-keeper Rakep Patel failed to collect the ball.Patel kept wicket for a brief spell in place of regular wicket-keeper David Obuya, who suffered an injury while trying to stop a wide delivery.Veteran all-rounder Tikolo, making his last World Cup appearance, led Kenya in the absence of Jimmy Kamande, who was ruled out of the match due to a knee injury.Sibanda hit one six and seven fours in his 57-ball knock before being run out following a mix-up with Taibu.hit seven fours before being trapped leg-before by Ngoche.

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Zimbabwe elect to bat against Kenya

Updated at: 0840 PST,  Sunday, March 20, 2011

KOLKATA: Zimbabwe captain Elton Chigumbura elected to bat after winning the toss against Kenya in their final World Cup match at the Eden Gardens on Sunday Steve Tikolo, making his last World Cup appearance, led Kenya in the absence of Jimmy Kamande who was ruled out of the game due to a knee injury Both the African nations are out of contention for a place in the quarter-finals, with Zimbabwe having earned two points and Kenya none after five matches.Zimbabwe: Elton Chigumbura (capt), Regis Chakabva, Graeme Cremer, Craig Ervine, Greg Lamb, Christopher Mpofu, Raymond Price, Tatenda Taibu, Brendan Taylor, Prosper Utseya, Vusimuzi Sibanda Kenya: Steve Tikolo (capt), Alex Obanda, David Obuya, Collins Obuya, Tanmay Mishra, Rakep Patel, Thomas Odoyo, Nehemiah Odhiambo, Elijah Otieno, Peter Ongondo, James Ngoche.Umpires: Asoka de Silva (SRI) and Kumar Dharmasena (SRI)TV umpire: Ian Gould (ENG)Match referee: Ranjan Madugalle (SRI)

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Line-up and schedule for quarter finals confirmed

With the group matches completed today, the fixtures and venues have now been confirmed for the knock-out stages of the ICC Cricket World Cup 2011.The quarter-final matches will take place in the following order:

Match C Pakistan v West Indies in Dhaka on 23 March
    Match E Australia v India in Ahmedabad on 24 March
    Match F New Zealand v South Africa in Dhaka on 25 March
    Match D Sri Lanka v England in Colombo on 26 March
    The semi-final matches will take place as follows:
    Winner Match D v Winner Match F in Colombo on 29 March
    Winner Match C v Winner Match E in Mohali on 30 March

    The final will be contested in Mumbai on 2 April.

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Pakistan halt Aussies winning streak, take top spot

Updated at: 2126 PST,  Saturday, March 19, 2011

COLOMBO: Pakistan stopped Australia’s unbeaten 34-match run in the World Cup and secured top spot on their group table, beating the defending champions by four wickets in their final match of the Group A here at the R Premadasa Stadium on Saturday.Chasing an easy target of 177 runs, Pakistan completed victory with nine overs to spare but they lost six wickets in the process.Umar Gul took three for 30 to help Pakistan dismiss Australia for 176 -- their lowest World Cup total since 1992 -- before Umar Akmal hit an unbeaten 44 to steer Pakistan to victory in 41 overs, finishing top of the pool with 10 points.Pakistan, champions in 1992, will play the fourth placed team in Group B, while Australia (nine points) finished third behind Sri Lanka (nine points) on run-rate and will play the second placed team from Group B.This was Australia's first defeat in the World Cup since losing to Pakistan by 10 runs in Leeds in 1999.But the champions, led by spearhead Brett Lee (4-28), fought hard and twice raised hopes of an unlikely win.Pakistan were cruising along on 98-2 before Lee derailed the chase in his first over of his second spell, dismissing Younis Khan (31) and Misbah-ul-Haq for a first-ball duck -- both caught by keeper Brad Haddin.Mitchell Johnson removed Asad Shafiq (46) while Jason Krejza tempted skipper Shahid Afridi (two) to hole out in the deep, but Umar and Abdul Razzaq (20 not out) saw their team home with a cautious 36-run stand for the seventh wicket.Razzaq hit two boundaries off spinner Jason Krejza to complete the victory.Lee had taken two wickets in his first spell, taking a smart catch off his own bowling to dismiss opener Mohammad Hafeez (five) before trapping Kamran Akmal lbw for 23.Shafiq, who hit five boundaries during his 81-ball knock, added 53 with Younis and 41 with Umar to keep Pakistan on track. Earlier, Gul and Razzaq (2-8) exposed the untested Australian batting after Ricky Ponting won the toss and decided to bat on a seemingly flat R. Premadasa stadium pitch.Haddin (42), Michael Clarke (34) and Steve Smith (25) offered some resistance as Pakistan applied relentless pressure to take the last seven Australian wickets for a mere 59 runs after they were 117-3.Pakistan, who opened the attack with left-arm spinner Abdur Rehman from one end, forced an early breakthrough when Gul bowled opener Shane Watson for nine.Haddin added 63 for the second wicket with Ponting (19) before Pakistan struck twice, with Hafeez removing the Australian skipper off a miscued cut, caught by wicket-keeper Kamran Akmal.Left-arm paceman Wahab Riaz then had Haddin caught behind by Kamran in the 24th over. Haddin hit three boundaries and a six during his 80-ball knock.Pakistan then took four wickets in the space of 30 runs to reduce the Aussies to 147-7 and later Gul removed Krejza and Lee cheaply to wrap the Australian innings for their sixth lowest World Cup total.

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