http://www.senore.com/Cricket/Pakistan-c755 escape a Canadian upset in ICC World Cup 2011
The Pakistan cricket team managed to counter an evident defeat at the hands of minnows, http://www.senore.com/Cricket/Bangladesh-c747.
After posting a meagre total of 184 runs in 43 overs, Pakistan had put themselves in a spot of bother. No one had expected such a lethargic batting display from a side, which was hoping to run over the minnows.
In a bid to repeat what http://www.senore.com/Cricket/Ireland-c751 did yesterday when they defeated England, Canada batted hard to touch 104 runs for the loss of 3 wickets. At this time there were still 17 overs remaining, giving ample time to the Canadians to reach the target.
The situation was clearly favouring Canada and some in the Canadian dressing room might have even started making preparations for a post match celebration but Pakistan’s skipper, http://www.senore.com/Cricket/Shahid-Afridi-c2482, chose to crash the party by pulverizing the lower order batting
line-up of Canada.
The World Cup may not have started for Boom Boom as a batsman but Afridi has surely landed as a bowler in the mega event. He is right at the top among the elite bowlers of this World Cup after displaying some fine talents with the ball.
The flamboyant Afridi has taken 14 wickets in three matches that Pakistan have played.
He took five wickets against Canada and pretty much saved his team from an embarrassment of losing to the minnows.
The two wickets that he took in the 36th over basically turned the match in favour of his team because before these wickets the game seemed to be slipping out of Pakistan’s hands.
Jimmy Hansra's and Harvir Baidwan were the victims, these back to back wickets also set Afridi on a hat-trick. However, he failed to take a wicket on the hat-trick delivery.
Pakistan, who were hoping to cruise in this fixture against a side, that are still infants in the world of cricket, were let down by their top-order batsmen, who couldn’t come to terms with the spin and medium paced bowling of the Canadian squad.
Openers, Mohammad Hafeez, and, Ahmed Shehzad, failed to impress and went back to the pavilion after scoring 11 and 12 runs.
Kamran Akmal then went for 16 and the veteran Younus http://www.senore.com/Cricket/Misbah-ul-Haq-c1972,
Pakistan would have even failed to post a score worth fighting for. The partnership between Misbah and Akmal added 73 runs in Pakistan’s tally.
The batsmen clearly lacked the patience to get their eye in and play their shots. Perhaps there was some overconfidence that resulted in the fall of the batsmen, who should have played the Canadian bowlers with some merit, because the minnows were in fact
bowling well in overcast conditions.
Nevertheless, Pakistan have to take a good look at their batting line-up and fix the glitches before they face more formidable teams in future matches of the tournament.
Canada on the other hand will have to wait for their dream of making an upset in a World Cup to come true.
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