Umar Akmal in Pakistan's training camp ahead of their tour to the West Indies

Umar Akmal in Pakistan's training camp ahead of their tour to the West Indies, Lahore, April 12, 2011

©AFP

Umar Akmal in Pakistan's training camp ahead of their tour to the West Indies, Lahore, April 12, 2011©AFP

Pakistan need 10 runs to win on 66 balls with 4 wickets

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

Brilliant Lee gives Australia hope

Brett Lee was single-handily trying to maintain Australia's unbeaten World Cup record with a supreme display of pace bowling to leave Pakistan 109 for 4 in pursuit of 177. The openers fell during Lee's fired-up first spell but he lacked support from his team-mates as Asad Shafiq and Younis Khan steadied the chase. However, Lee returned and claimed two wickets in two balls to give his team a vital lift.

Lee has been Australia's most consistent performer with the ball in the tournament and his opening spell here was exemplary. He could easily have removed Kamran Akmal in the first over when a top edge flew over the slips - Kamran also survived a run-out chance - and was making the ball move late. In his second over he squared up Mohammad Hafeez and made good ground to take the return catch.

A big shout for lbw against Kamran was reviewed but remained an on-field call with the ball just clipping leg and the batsman responded by taking two boundaries off Mitchell Johnson's first over. With attacking fields set by Ricky Ponting, further boundaries were notched up by Kamran and Shafiq, who had to battle some pain after twisting his ankle, but Lee kept his side in the match.

Ricky Ponting

After being carved over the covers he thundered a rapid delivery into Kamran's pads and this time he was given out by Marais Erasmus with the review unable to save him. However, Ponting knew he had to save some of Lee for later and his spell ended after five overs which released the pressure on Pakistan.

Johnson wasn't a huge threat, Shaun Tait proved expensive and Shane Watson was only steady before spin was introduced. Shafiq, who showed his composure against Zimbabwe in his first World Cup outing, played another mature hand knowing that the required rate was always in hand. Both he and Younis had a few nervous moments - with the pair edging through a vacant slip cordon - but took the requirement below a hundred.

Eventually, though, Younis flashed once too often outside off and gave a simple catch to Brad Haddin which continued his poor record against Australia. Next ball and the match was back in the balance when Misbah-ul-Haq, the other half of Pakistan's experienced middle order, hung his bat out at a Lee outswinger. Australia aren't used to losing World Cup matches and won't give this up easily.

Australia 176 (Haddin 42, Gul 3-30) v Pakistan

Pakistan produced an outstanding bowling and fielding display as Australia were hustled out for 176, their lowest completed World Cup total since 1992, on a tricky pitch in Colombo. Brad Haddin top-scored with 42 in a brittle performance from the current champions who have not been beaten in a World Cup match since May 1999. The wickets were shared around with Umar Gul taking three and Abdul Razzaq a crucial brace.

Whoever wins this match will finish top of Group A, which has a bearing on who they play in the quarter-finals and in which country. The first half couldn't have gone much better for Pakistan as all the bowlers played their part in keeping Australia under wraps while their fielding display reached rarely seen levels of excellence. Kamran Akmal had a good day behind the stumps with three catches, while the variety in the attack meant a host of wicket-taking options.

Australia have been saying how they wanted a test after easing through most of the group stage but the batting wasn't up to it on a difficult surface that offered spin and a touch of uneven bounce. Two batsmen desperate for a substantial innings, Ricky Ponting (19) and Cameron White (8), both struggled leaving the lower order exposed to spin and reverse swing.

Pakistan had an early scare when Gul pulled up at the start of his second over with a knee problem and needed attention from the physio. Whatever treatment was provided worked wonders because he produced a lovely nip-backer to beat Shane Watson's ambitious drive.

It was hard work for Australia to find momentum as Gul maintained a testing line and Abdur Rehman, the left-arm spinner, varied his pace nicely after being given the new ball. Haddin briefly broke free when he used his feet against Rehman to loft him straight for six, but it wasn't until the ninth over that the innings got a kick as Gul sprayed five wides before being pulled through midwicket.

Ponting has been scratchy during the tournament and was again unconvincing although he didn't have a huge amount of strike when he arrived. His first boundary came from a fortunate top edge after he was comprehensively beaten by a Wahab Riaz bouncer, but three balls later he produced a sweet cover drive.

Not for the first time, though, spin brought his downfall when he tried to cut Mohammad Hafeez, who produced a superb 10-over spell for 26, and got a thick edge that Kamran did well to take in the webbing of his right glove. However, it was originally given not out and the DRS was needed to overturn the decision in Pakistan's favour. Meanwhile, as the players waited for the TV umpire, there was an altercation between Haddin and the Pakistanis.

Haddin has been consistent during the tournament without reaching the three-figure score the top order needs and he couldn't convert here when he pushed at a delivery from Wahab to give Kamran his second catch. Misbah-ul-Haq missed an opportunity to run out Michael Clarke but made no mistake when his next chance came around when his throw to Kamran found White short after a laboured stay.

In Clarke and Michael Hussey, Australia had two of their in-form players together but even they found scoring tough as Shahid Afridi mixed up his bowling options. Razzaq was held back until the 35th over and made an immediate impression when Clarke missed an ugly heave against a well-disguised off-cutter which trimmed the off bail.

umar akmal

Hussey couldn't perform a rescue-act, either, when he chipped a simple catch to midwicket and the innings was coming off the rails as Razzaq produced a nippy delivery to find Mitchell Johnson's outside edge. Jason Krejza was defeated by Gul's lethal reverse swing and Steve Smith, having tried to see out the overs, chopped into his stumps against Afridi before Brett Lee carved to cover with 20 balls unused.

Andrew McGlashan is an assistant editor at ESPNcricinfo

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