Colombo, March 3: The minnows are not done with this World Cup yet. It was either a case of gross complacency by the Pakistanis or a brilliant performance by Canada with the ball and the field which saw the Mapleleafs bowl out the top-dogs for a meagre 184 in 43 overs, in their Group A match in Colombo.
Harvir Baidwan led the attack with 3/35 while Rizwan Cheema, Balaji Rao and Jimmy Hansra each took 2 wickets. The only Pakistan batsmen that notched up decent scores were Misbah-ul-Haq with 37 and Umar Akmal with 48.
Mohammad Hafeez tried to get Pakistan off to a forceful start, striking Henry Osinde for 2 consecutive fours in the 2nd over. But in a dramatic turn, the same bowler got his revenge two overs later, trapping Hafeez in front for 11 off 12 balls. Pakistan were 16/1 in 3.1 overs.
Then just 18 runs later, Shehzad holed out to Gordon off Harvir Baidwan for 12 off 23 balls as Pakistan slipped to 38/2 in 8.5 overs. Baidwan struck again in the 13th over when he trapped Younis Khan for 6 off 13 balls. Just three overs later, Kamran Akmal joined him back in the shed when he cut Rizwan Cheema straight into the palms of the fielder at backward of point.
Then Misbah-ul-Haq and Umar Akmal tried to steady the ship. They took Pakistan past 100/4 in the 26th over and pressed on. But just when it looked like they had settled into a steady stand, leg-spinner Balaji Rao got the breakthough when he trapped Akmal in front for 48 off 68 balls.
Captain Shahid Afridi settled in by striking two fours off Baidwan in the 36th over, to make the score 150/5. Balaji then had Misbah caught down the leg-side for 37 off 68 as Pakistan was tottering on 165/6.
Cheema then removed Afridi by getting him caught at point for 20 off 17 balls. In the very next over, Jimmy Hansra dismissed Abdul Razzaq lbw, for 8 and Pakistan were 181/8. In the same over, the bowler had Wahab Riaz caught for a duck. Finally, at the end of the 43rd over, Baidwan bowled Saeed Ajmal for a duck as well, as Pakistan folded for 184.
Mohammad Hafeez tried to get Pakistan off to a forceful start, striking Henry Osinde for 2 consecutive fours in the 2nd over. But in a dramatic turn, the same bowler got his revenge two overs later, trapping Hafeez in front for 11 off 12 balls. Pakistan were 16/1 in 3.1 overs.
Then just 18 runs later, Shehzad holed out to Gordon off Harvir Baidwan for 12 off 23 balls as Pakistan slipped to 38/2 in 8.5 overs. Baidwan struck again in the 13th over when he trapped Younis Khan for 6 off 13 balls. Just three overs later, Kamran Akmal joined him back in the shed when he cut Rizwan Cheema straight into the palms of the fielder at backward of point.
Then Misbah-ul-Haq and Umar Akmal tried to steady the ship. They took Pakistan past 100/4 in the 26th over and pressed on. But just when it looked like they had settled into a steady stand, leg-spinner Balaji Rao got the breakthough when he trapped Akmal in front for 48 off 68 balls.
Captain Shahid Afridi settled in by striking two fours off Baidwan in the 36th over, to make the score 150/5. Balaji then had Misbah caught down the leg-side for 37 off 68 as Pakistan was tottering on 165/6.
Cheema then removed Afridi by getting him caught at point for 20 off 17 balls. In the very next over, Jimmy Hansra dismissed Abdul Razzaq lbw, for 8 and Pakistan were 181/8. In the same over, the bowler had Wahab Riaz caught for a duck. Finally, at the end of the 43rd over, Baidwan bowled Saeed Ajmal for a duck as well, as Pakistan folded for 184.
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