PAKISTAN brushed aside Zimbabwe yesterday to book their place in the World Cup quarter-finals as Bangladesh stayed on course for the knockout phase, cruising to a win against the Netherlands.
All four qualifiers in Group A are now decided, with co-hosts Sri Lanka, Australia and New Zealand joining Pakistan in the last eight.
In the tougher Group B, no team has yet reached the next stage but Bangladesh moved into the top four yesterday, pushing England into fifth spot. India, South Africa and West Indies currently occupy the other places.
In a rain-affected match in Pallekele in Sri Lanka, Pakistan restricted Zimbabwe to 151-7 in 39.4 overs before a second rain interruption curtailed the innings.
Man-of-the-match Umar Gul, with 3-36, was the pick of the bowlers as Zimbabwe’s Craig Ervine fought a lone battle, hitting a patient 52 off 82 balls.
Pakistan, set a revised 162-run target in 38 overs under the Duckworth-Lewis formula, finished on 164-3 after 34.1 overs on the back of an unbeaten 78 by Asad Shafiq and 49 from Mohammad Hafeez.
Left-arm spinner Raymond Price (2-21) slowed Pakistan but they never looked remotely like falling short of the modest target.
Skipper Shahid Afridi said Pakistan were targeting top spot in Group A to avoid a more tricky assignment in the last eight.
A win over defending champions Australia in Colombo on Saturday (March 19) will go a long way in helping that ambition.
“We will definitely play well against Australia. It’s a match which we'll take very seriously,” said Afridi, whose side are a point better off than the champions but who have played a game more.
