The match petered into an anti-climatic fixture when Pakistan, chasing a formidable West Indies total of 289 for nine in the stipulated 50 overs, could finish with 259 for nine, thanks to a smashing all-round display from Keith Arthurton, the busiest man on the field.
The veteran Antiguan, on a comeback trail, crafted a responsible 43-ball 33 and then ripped through the Pakistani batting line with a career-best bowling of four wickets for 31 runs. Arthurton, one of the top fielders, was later declared man of the match for his virtuoso performance.
The defeat of Aamir Sohail's side means they catch the next available flight back home. On the other hand, the solid accomplishment of Brian Lara's men put them up against India in the second semi-final tomorrow.
Lara probably took the cue from India's match against Australia and didn't hesitate to bat first upon winning the toss. The decision was more than justified as the two openers Philo Wallace and Stuart Williams were off to a flier in no time.
The onslaught started off in the very first over, that from Wasim Akram. Wallace, the belligerent Barbados skipper, hit a cross batted four off Akram's opening ball through the long off. His next boundary followed immediately -- a pull past mid-wicket. The over yielded 14 runs -- including four leg byes.
Williams played a couple of delightful strokes before falling first with the score on 34. The stocky opener made 14 off 22 deliveries when, playing back to a Azhar Mehmood delivery, he was adjudged leg before wicket.
Wallace found a confident partner in Shivnarin Chanderpaul and the two treated the Pakistan bowlers with arrogance. The team total reached 100 in just 14 overs -- the fastest in the tournament so far. In the process, Wallace achieved the personal distinction of completing the quickest 50 of the competition in the same over. His 'half century' came off 37 balls studded with eight boundaries.
West Indies were 107 in 15 overs -- the highest number of runs within the period of field restriction.
Wallace went on to hit a career best 79 off 58 deliveries before needlessly running himself out in the 20th over with the Caribbeans comfortably placed on 143. Wallace hammered 13 cracking fours in his highly entertaining innings. Together with Chanderpaul, he shared 102 runs for the second wicket.
In strode captain Brian Lara, who swept the first ball he faced for four igniting rapturous applause from the stands. But he really let his admirers down when he ended his chancy and unconvincing innings of 16 in the most forgettable way -- miscuing a lofted drive into the sure hands of Saqlain Mushtaq.
Off spinner Arshad Khan, who got that prized wicket, further put the brakes on the West Indies batting by sending back Chanderpaul (49) and Carl Hooper (13) in quick succession. Chanderpaul played a typically sound innings that consisted of three hits across the ropes.
Arthurton and Phil Simmons (21) then shared an enterprising partnership of 46 before Akram came back to rattle the late order with a three-wicket burst in a classic exhibition of fast bowling. First he had Arthurton caught behind. Then he got Ridley Jacobs out LBW with an express delivery off the very next ball. Raul Lewis denied Akram a hat trick but the former Pakistan skipper clean bowled Simmons to round off a superb spell of three for 55. However, Arshad was the most impressive among the Pakistani bowlers with figures of two for 43 runs in his 10 overs.
Lewis scored an unbeaten 20 and West Indies eventually piled up a total of 289 but could perhaps have scored a lot more had their top guns played with more responsibility.
Pakistan, in their chase, never quite put the West Indies under pressure after their explosive opener Shahid Afridi fell for only four. They kept losing wickets at regular intervals in the face of intelligent bowling from left-arm spinner Arthurton.
Only opener Selim Elahi with a stylish 46 off 79 balls, which included a massive six over mid-wicket, played with some purpose.
Ijaz Ahmed, who scored a 64-ball 51, briefly threatened to cut loose. But Pakistan's slim hopes of a turnaround was truly over when Arthurton had the dangerman clean bowled in the 37th over. Arthurton also dismissed Selim Malik in the same over for a run-a-ball 15.