Pakistan Start With a Bang!

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Pakistan started their World Cup Campaign with a bang today by defeating Kenya by an overwhelming margin of 205 runs. It was a clinical all round performance with some record breaking performances as Pakistan eased their ways to a comfortable victory. Pakistan will want to use this victory as an opportunity to set up their tournament where they have gained that victorious tone which they can build on and carry through in the fixtures which proceed. This could be the start of what plans out to be a successful and memorable tournament for Afridi's side. The captain himself bowled magnificently and claimed some remarkable figures during a breath taking spell of leg spin bowling where he concluded with 8-3-5-16. He demonstrated a great degree of skill and uniqueness which absolutely puzzled the Kenyans as they faltered in quick succession against the brilliance of the Pakistani skipper. They struggled to combat his sharp drift, variations and dip he was getting which was always going to be a challenge for them to combat and counter, especially if he was on the money.

Earlier Pakistan amassed 317 having won the toss, despite the early losses of the openers with the score line at 12-2 after just 7 overs. Kamran Akmal played a good hand in re-building the innings and getting Pakistan on track with his 9th half century, Younis set the platform with the help of his class and experience to bring up his first half century in a World Cup encounter whereas Misbah played an important hand in accumulation and carrying the good work through in his first World Cup appearance, Mr consistent did not fail to live up to our expectations and continued his magnificent purple patch of form. However, it was Umar Akmal who stood out and played with freedom, intent, aggression and energy once the foundations had been laid and the situation was ideal for him to do what he does best! He notched up 71 off just 52 deliveries. The Kenyan bowlers were sloppy and undisciplined which helped the Pakistani cause with 46 extras contributing to the overall total.

On the whole, it was a perfect outcome and a victory which should be celebrated and applauded appreciably. The manner in which they went about their business and produced the goods is the area which should be looked at and not the strength or depth of the opposition. Moreover, in the previous WCs where Pakistan faced humiliation in the preliminary stages, they lost their opening fixture so perhaps this change is a refreshing spark of better things to follow?