pakistan vs canada

pakistan vs canada

Shahid Afridi celebrates the wicket of Ashish Bagai,
 Canada v Pakistan, Group A, World Cup 2011
, Colombo, March 3, 2011©AFP

Pakistan get-together after the wicket of Nitish Kumar, Canada v Pakistan, Group A, World Cup 2011, Colombo, March 3, 2011©AFP

Canada v Pakistan, Group A, World Cup 2011, Colombo

Impressive Canada restrict Pakistan to 184

Umar Akmal best scorer 48

Umar Akmal

Canada followed in the spirit set by Ireland's frenzied triumph over England to hustle Pakistan out for 184 and set up a tantalising prospect of another World Cup upset in Colombo. Making the most of the heavy atmosphere and sluggish track, they bowled with accuracy and fielded with fire to dismiss an off-colour Pakistan side with seven overs to spare.

After their easy victory over Kenya and impressive 11-run triumph over a strong Sri Lanka side, Pakistan felt sufficiently confident to rest Shoaib Akhtar from this game. That confidence seemed to have spilled over into a lethargic overconfidence as all the batsmen lacked the intensity to buckle down and keep the scoreboard moving in the face of an energetic Canada display.

It was only a stodgy 73-run stand between Misbah-ul-Haq and Umar Akmal that carried the side to relative safety. Before they came together Pakistan were rocking at 67 for 4 and lost 5 wickets for 44 after their stand was broken.

Though all the bowlers were impressive it was the contrasting aggression of seamer Harvir Baidwan and rotund legspinner Balaji Rao who starred, constantly prodding and probing the Pakistan batsmen who were unable to raise their games.

Mohammad Hafeez did as he forever does, striking a couple of flowing boundaries before departing and he was followed by Ahmed Shehzad, smartly caught by Tyson Gordon diving forward to give Baidwan his first scalp. The hearts really began to pound when Younis Khan, the rock in the middle order, also fell to Baidwan. Again it was the touch of movement that had lurked in the air all afternoon that did for him, as Baidwan slid one back onto the pad and in front the stumps. Younis called for a very optimistic review, which only confirmed the worst. It was a poor choice from such an experienced player which came back to haunt the side when Misbah was given out dubiously caught down the leg side.

It was all the more impressive for Canada given they had lost their premier bowler Khurram Chohan in the seventh over to a hamstring injury. Baidwan took up the baton and bounded in with aggression, swinging the ball both ways at a decent pace and even slipping in the odd bouncer.

It was left, as ever, to Misbah to provide the calming influence and, together with Umar Akmal, their stand was pragmatic, organised and thoroughly un-Pakistani. They were troubled by the tossed-up legspin and googlies of Rao who followed each ripping legspinner with a volley of verbals almost as expressive as his deliveries. He was rewarded when Umar, who was looking to up the pace, inexplicably played back to a ball he should have been forward to and his dismissal sparked the collapse.

Misbah had taken 60 deliveries to find his first boundary and was beginning to locate his more fluent form with a series of reverse sweeps before he flicked lazily down the leg side, getting a fine edge which Ashish Bagai did well to hold on to standing up to the stumps. Shahid Afridi started with familiar boom, swatting a pull shot for four, and ended with that more wearily familiar bust, limply toe-ending a wide ball to point.

With the captain out the rest slid away soon and there was more cheer for Rao when he held a sharp slip chance between he knees, tumbling over with the ball safely nestled to cue humorous celebrations. Baidwan finished it off with his third wicket when he burst through Saeed Ajmal's defences.

With Pakistan's bowling attack and favourable conditions Canada are hardly favourites in the chase, but, then neither were Ireland last evening.

Sahil Dutta is an assistant editor at ESPNcricinfo

Canada v Pakistan

Canada v Pakistan, Group A, World Cup 2011, Colombo

Struggling Canada hope to compete

Match Facts

March 3, Colombo
Start time 14.30 (0900 GMT)

John Davison

The Big Picture

A game between two countries continents apart will be infused with a strong South Asian flavour on Thursday. Canada's been the adopted home of more than a million immigrants from the subcontinent, including the bulk of the national team, and the Toronto suburbs of Brampton, Missisauga and Scarborough, each with a significant South Asian population, will have some watching the potential mismatch with more than a reasonable interest.

There's much at stake for Canada. Their performances, including a meek surrender against Zimbabwe, have, in the eyes of many, justified the ICC's decision to shrink the next World Cup. Some of their more experienced players weren't picked in the World Cup squad; instead, five players from the Under-19 level, fresh to international cricket, were given a go, raising concerns over whether the best-available XV were selected. Their senior cricketers, Ashish Bagai and John Davison, have failed to step up. The only consolation is that their group members, Kenya, have had a worse time this tournament. For those at home with competing loyalties, a determined display against Pakistan would prove a satisfactory result.

Pakistan, eyeing a third straight win, would want a performance as dominating as the one against Kenya, but it remains to be seen whether they choose to tweak their combinations in a game with little room for surprise.

Form guide

(completed matches, most recent first)

Pakistan: WWLWW
Canada: LLLWW

Watch out for...

Mohammad Hafeez: He has proven to be a reliable opener for Pakistan since the start of 2010, but has often been dismissed after getting a good look-in at the crease. Hafeez has made three half-centuries and a ton, apart from a spate of 30s, in the last year. He's gifted with timing, is solid in defence and has the ability to bat out an innings. The Canadian bowling offers him a a good chance to dig in.

John Davison: The oldest player in the competition and Canada's big-name opener has had a horrible two games with ducks in each. There was little hope against Sri Lanka in a mammoth chase but his team needed a strong start from Davison against Zimbabwe, an opposition Canada had hoped to beat at the start of the tournament. Without an impetus at the start of the innings, the rest of the Canadian batting appears to switch focus to survival rather than pushing on. With so much responsibility on his shoulders, Davison needs to set an example at the top.

Team news

The fitness status of Henry Osinde remains unclear, but it would be worth it to promote their frontline batsman, Zubin Surkari, and allrounder Rizwan Cheema up the order. They batted at No.7 and No.6 respectively against Zimbabwe, coming in well after the game had been decided.

Canada (possible): 1 John Davison, 2 Nitish Kumar, 3 Ruvindu Gunasekera, 4 Ashish Bagai, 5 Rizwan Cheema, 6 Zubin Surkari, 7 Jimmy Hansra, 8 Tyson Gordon, 9 Khurram Chohan, 10 Harvir Baidwan, 11 Balaji Rao.

Left-arm spinner Abdur Rehman has been ruled out of Thursday's game with an injury to his adductor muscle; offspinner Saeed Ajmal could well make his World Cup debut. Misbah-ul-Haq has a hamstring niggle but is expected to be fit while there is uncertainty over whether Pakistan will rest Shoaib Akhtar. If they do, left-arm seamer Wahab Riaz could be picked.

Pakistan (possible): 1 Ahmed Shehzad, 2 Mohammad Hafeez, 3 Kamran Akmal (wk), 4 Younis Khan, 5 Misbah-ul-Haq, 6 Umar Akmal, 7 Shahid Afridi (capt), 8 Abdul Razzaq, 9 Umar Gul, 10 Saeed Ajmal, 11 Shoaib Akhtar/Wahab Riaz.

Stats and trivia

• The Canadian squad features three Pakistan-born players - Rizwan Cheema, Khurram Chohan and Hamza Tariq. Chohan has been part of the Pakistan Under-19 team.
• Shahid Afridi became the 11th bowler to take 300 wickets in ODIs during his four-wicket haul against Sri Lanka. He is the first Pakistan spinner and the third overall to achieve that feat.
• The two teams last met in an ODI in the 1979 World Cup. The South Asian presence in the Canadian XI back then was limited to two players.

Quotes

"Personally for me, it's more of a mental game. I am 40 years old and probably have those self-doubts... do I have the ability to perform at this level?"
John Davison admits his problem is in the mind.

"We are thinking about it [of resting Shoaib] but then again, at this age or time, sometimes rest is not good, because you want to get that rhythm and momentum going."
Waqar Younis

Siddhartha Talya is a sub editor at ESPNcricinfo