The Road to the ICC World Cup 2011 quarter-finals: Pakistan – Part 2
Needing a win to assure themselves of a place in the knock-out stages of the competition, Pakistan took on http://www.senore.com/Cricket/Zimbabwe-c3045 in what was a perfect opportunity to recover. Zimbabwe, who was on a poor run of form themselves were hoping to take advantage of a Pakistan
side that had all their weaknesses exposed.
Zimbabwe opted to bat first in the hopes of replicating what New Zealand did with Pakistan. A move that did not pay off for the Zimbabweans, as a resurgent Pakistan bowling line-up restricted them to a 151 runs, as rain interrupted play.
Umar Gul was finding his form, as he took three crucial wickets for his side. http://www.senore.com/Cricket/Shahid-Afridi-c2482 kept up his assault on the wicket taking charts, as he added another wicket to his tally.
With the Duckworth/Lewis system brought into play, Pakistan needed 162 runs in 38 overs. Muhammad Hafeez and http://www.senore.com/Cricket/Ahmed-Shehzad-c42359 opened for the Pakistani side, with the latter unfortunate not to complete his half century ultimately falling just one run short.
http://www.senore.com/Cricket/Asad-Shafiq-c46208 was solid on his debut, as his 78 run unbeaten knock was the platform on which the Pakistani’s earned a much needed win and booked their ticket into the quarter-finals of the competition.
http://www.senore.com/Cricket/Shoaib-Akhtar-c90080 was a notable absence from the Pakistan side even though he had been declared fit by the team’s physiotherapist.
By the end of the match the side had proved that the loss to http://www.senore.com/Cricket/New-Zealand-c754 was a blip in their otherwise solid performances in the World Cup.
Next was Pakistan’s greatest test in the World Cup, the Australian side, which was unbeaten in the competition since 1999. An exhibition match of sorts, with both sides qualification to the next round secure, top position in Group A was the prize for the
team that would win the match.
Akhtar had announced his retirement from international cricket, effective after the conclusion of the World Cup, prior to the match. It came as a surprise when he was not included in the squad in what would be the perfect opportunity for him to regain his
form.
The match between http://www.senore.com/Cricket/Australia-c746 and Pakistan started with the Aussies opting to bat. The Pakistani bowlers seemed to be on another level, as the Australian batting line-up struggled to cope with the fierce bowling they were faced with.
http://www.senore.com/Cricket/Abdur-Razzaq-c41689 was also playing out of his skin, as he took two wickets in four overs conceding
only eight runs in the process.
Australia set Pakistan a surprisingly low target of 176 runs, which by their standards can be taken as a poor performance. The defending champions knew they had to replicate what the Pakistani’s did with the ball, if they wanted the top spot in Group A.
http://www.senore.com/Cricket/Pakistan-c755 would top the group and would
face the http://www.senore.com/Cricket/West-Indies-c760 in the quarter-finals.
Pakistan’s strength has been their bowling this World Cup and they’ll look to continue that in the knock-out stages of the tournament, as they search for their second championship title.
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