CricInfo Home
News Home

NEWS FOCUS
Rsa in Pak
NZ in India
Zim in Aus

Domestic
Other Series

World Cup: Wasim struggles as Pakistan win

The dust never settles on the subcontinent but, metaphorically speaking, it did so yesterday on the long-winded preliminary round of the World Cup. There was nothing artificial, despite the relative unimportance of the game, about the excitement which attended Pakistan's final group match, but the Gaddaffi Stadium, where they beat New Zealand by 46 runs, will be even more cacophonous on Sunday week.

Despite an injury to Wasim Akram which reduced Pakistan to three regular bowlers, a total of 281 for five proved ample. Pakistan thus finished second in their qualifying group and avoided a quarter-final match against the favourites, Australia. Instead their opponents, for the first time in seven years on their own continent, will be India. The match at Bangalore on Saturday may come a little too soon for Wasim in view of a minor strain to his side, aggravated whilst he and the man-of-the match, his predecessor as captain, Salim Malik, were putting on 83 from the last 10 overs.

New Zealand are virtually certain to face Australia without Danny Morrison

Wasim had taken a gamble by playing in this game, so anxious was he to avoid any match against Australia until, he hopes, the final. Whilst hitting 28 off 26 balls, however, he felt a twinge as he tried to pull, and instead of taking the field to defend Pakistan's 281 for five on the usual batsman's paradise, he immediately began treatment. His physiotherapist's view is that he will be fit to play and bowl against India.

New Zealand are virtually certain to face Australia without Danny Morrison, who suffered another groin strain whilst the Pakistan vice-captain, Aamir Sohail, was assaulting him with an array of cavalier off-side strokes at the start of the match. New Zealand had chosen to field first but Sohail made 50 with immense panache before pulling Robert Kennedy to square-leg where he was sensationally caught by Shane Thomson, left-handed, at full upward stretch, falling back.

The other notable efforts for New Zealand were by Chris Cairns and Dion Nash, who both bowled well and by the substitute Chris Harris, who dived at extra-cover to throw out Javed Miandad. Despite a brief, muted innings Miandad was the recipient of another award as ``heart-beat of all cricket lovers''. Inzamam-ul- Haq again straight-drove ferociously and Salim Malik was back to his wristy best.

Once the elegant Stephen Fleming had been stumped by Rashid Latif, New Zealand only seriously threatened to reach their target when Cairns hit immense sixes over long-on and extra- cover. Mushtaq Ahmed bowled superbly again and Waqar Younis was everything Pakistan hoped he would be: fast, straight and swinging the ball both ways.

Man of the match: Salim Malik