ICC World Cup 2019: West Indies cruise to an easy win against Pakistan

Thomas finished with 4-27 as Pakistan, sent in to bat, were bowled out in just 21.4 overs.

NOTTINGHAM (Dunya News) – West Indies crushed Pakistan by seven wickets in a one-sided World Cup match at Trent Bridge on Friday, with the two-time champions showing they are a resurgent force in the one-day game.

Fast bowler Oshane Thomas took four wickets as Pakistan were bundled out for their second-lowest World Cup total of 105 in just 21.4 overs on the second day of the competition in England and Wales.

West Indies cruised to victory in just 13.4 overs, Chris Gayle top-scoring with 50. He reached his half-century off 33 balls with three sixes and six fours before he was dismissed off the next ball he faced.

During his innings Gayle, who calls himself the "Universe Boss", broke the record for the most sixes hit in World Cup history. He now has 40 maximums, three more than retired South African batsman A B de Villiers.

Nicolas Pooran smashed paceman Wahab Riaz for a huge six over the square-leg boundary to give the 1975 and 1979 world champions an ideal start to their campaign. "It was a good game. I think the bowlers were outstanding today," said Holder. "We kept our foot on the accelerator. We ve eased off in the past but it was good to see the killer instinct today. "We wanted to be aggressive. It s the nature of our cricket with bat, ball and in the field. "We ve definitely come to win this World Cup but I just want us to enjoy our cricket, play fearless cricket and make the fans back home proud."

The only positive for Pakistan was three wickets for paceman Mohammad Amir on his World Cup debut after he missed the 2011 and 2015 tournaments due to a spot-fixing ban of 2010. Amir had Shai Hope (11), Darren Bravo (0) and Gayle caught in an incisive six-over spell, but the batsmen had not put enough runs on the board to give the bowlers a chance.

Pakistan s sloppy and vulnerable batting was cruelly exposed by some short-pitched bowling by the West Indies pacemen on a Trent Bridge pitch famous for big totals. Opener Fakhar Zaman and Babar Azam were the joint top-scorers with 22 each in an abysmal display of batting. The only other batsmen to reach double figures were Riaz, who scored 18, and Mohammad Hafeez (16). Holder took three wickets and Andre Russell chipped in with two.

Pakistan s lowest World Cup score was 74, made against England at Adelaide on the way to their only World Cup title in 1992. Pakistan captain Sarfaraz Ahmed, said: "Very disappointed at the batting. I was very confident before the match, batting was a key point but we didn t apply it to the short ball. "Credit to the West Indian bowlers, they bowled really well. We have to take time if the bowlers are bowling like that. We lose so many wickets and that s why we lost the match." 

Get Pak vs WI LIVE score updates here: https://dunyanews.tv/cwc2019

Earlier, 1992 World Cup winning captain and Prime Minister of Pakistan Imran Khan advised the players to give 100 percent, fight to the last ball and never let the fear of losing enter the mind, influence strategy or play. Pakistan’s prayers and support are with Sarfaraz and the team, he tweeted.

My advice to the Pakistan team today is what I would tell my players before a match: Give your 100 percent, fight to the last ball and never let the fear of losing enter your mind, influence your strategy or play. Pakistan’s prayers and support are with Sarfaraz and the team.

— Imran Khan (@ImranKhanPTI) May 31, 2019

After winning the toss, West Indies captain Jason Holder had said, “We’re going to field first, I don’t think the conditions will change first as the day goes on. Hopefully we get some early movement and wickets. Evin Lewis and Shannon Gabriel aren t fit, and we ve left out Fabian Allen and Kemar Roach.”

Pakistan skipper Sarfraz Ahmed had stated, “We wanted to bowl first because of the overcast conditions and a bit of moisture. But it doesn’t matter, it will be a good batting pitch. Our batting line-up is in form, it’s good that before the World Cup our top batsmen are in form. Amir and Wahab are very experienced bowlers. Asif Ali is not playing.”

Squads

Pakistan: Imam-ul-Haq, Fakhar Zaman, Babar Azam, Haris Sohail, Sarfaraz Ahmed (capt, wk), Mohammad Hafeez, Imad Wasim, Shadab Khan, Mohammad Amir, Hasan Ali, Wahab Riaz 

West Indies: Chris Gayle, Shai Hope (wk), Darren Bravo, Shimron Hetmyer, Nicholas Pooran, Andre Russell, Jason Holder (capt), Carlos Brathwaite, Ashley Nurse, Sheldon Cottrell, Oshane Thomas

Pakistan and West Indies have played ten matches against each other in the World Cups in which the Windies emerged victorious seven times and the Green Shirts won thrice.

History

1975: West Indies won by one wicket

1983: West Indies won by eight wickets

1987: Pakistan won by one wicket

1987: West Indies won by 28 runs

1992: West Indies won by ten wickets

1999: Pakistan won by 27 runs

2007: West Indies won by 54 runs

2011: Pakistan won by 10 wickets

2015: West Indies won by 150 runs

Highest scores

Pakistan: 266 runs

West Indies: 310 runs

Lowest scores

Pakistan: 113 runs

West Indies: 112 runs

Cricket pundits are expecting an exciting contest between both teams due to their unpredictability.

Conditions

Nottingham is expected to be cloudy for the most part, with some sunny intervals in between. Rain is expected to stay away, but the overcast conditions could make Gayle against Amir and Wahab Riaz an intriguing contest.