(MENAFN- Arab Times) NAPIER New Zealand March 4 (AFP): Pakistan continued their revival in the World Cup with a professional batting and bowling performance in a 129-run win against United Arab Emirates in Napier on Wednesday. Opener Ahmed Shehzad fell seven short of his maiden World Cup hundred while Haris Sohail (70) and skipper Misbah-ul-Haq chipped in with 65 which helped Pakistan to post a big 339-6 on a flat McLean Park pitch.
They then restricted the UAE to 210-8 in their 50 overs with Shaiman Anwar continuing his brilliant form with the bat by scoring 62. The win gives Pakistan four points in as many games as they continued their fight for a place in the quarter-finals. The top four teams from each of the two pools of seven will reach the quarter-finals. ''That was a much needed win for us. We won by a margin so we can relax now. We have a good net run rate now also'' said Misbah. UAE captain Mohammad Tauqir admitted chasing such a huge score was always going to be beyond them. ''340 was a big total for us but we batted 50 overs and we are happy with this effort. Anwar is very confident and in great form'' said Tauqir. A required rate of six-plus an over was always beyond UAE''s reach but after losing their first three wickets with just 25 on the board two to paceman Sohail Khan Anwar and Khurram Khan took the fight to the Pakistan bowlers adding 83 for the fourth wicket. Anwar hit four boundaries and two sixes during his 88-ball knock and with 270 runs in four matches became the top run-getter in the tournament. Khan hit three fours and a six off 54 deliveries. Pakistan''s bowling was hampered by the absence of spearhead Mohammad Irfan who hurt his hip during a fall in the field and could bowl only three overs. The team said Irfan''s injury was not serious and he was held back as precaution. Wahab Riaz Khan and Shahid Afridi took two wickets apiece. Shehzad and Sohail restored Pakistan during their second wicket stand of 160 after they lost out of form Nasir Jamshed for four in the fourth over. Guruge could have had Shehzad in his fourth over but Khurram dropped a sharp chance when the batsman was on eight and three runs later Shehzad got another life off Mohammad Naveed. Shehzad hit eight boundaries and a six off 105 balls but ran himself out while taking a sharp single. Sohail clubbed five boundaries and a six. Maqsood helped Misbah add another rapid 75 for the fourth wicket hitting four boundaries and two towering sixes during his 31-ball 45. Misbah reached his 41st ODI half-century off just 39 balls. He hit four boundaries and two sixes before holing out off Guruge. Shahid Afridi hit two sixes and a four in his seven-ball 21 not out and when on two became the fourth Pakistani and 27th batsman in the world to cross 8000 runs. This was Afridi''s 395th match. Inzamam-ul-Haq Mohammad Yousuf and Saeed Anwar are the other Pakistan players to make 8000 ODI runs. Guruge was the pick of UAE bowlers with a career best 4-56. Pakistan next play South Africa in Auckland (March 7) and Ireland in Adelaide (March 15) while UAE face South Africa in Wellington (March 12) and the West Indies in Napier (March 15). Meanwhile Pakistan coach Waqar Younis Wednesday targeted big-hitting South Africa saying his team must beat a strong outfit to prove they belong at the World Cup. Waqar said the two wins after two losses the first win was against Zimbabwe on Sunday gave the team much-needed confidence. ''Look it (win) definitely changed the body language of the players because a win always make you feel comfortable and confident but I still feel that we need to win against a bigger team like South Africa to tell the world that we are around'' said Waqar. Waqar agreed Pakistan were not looking as commanding as South Africa who have posted back-to-back 400-plus totals in their last two wins. ''Maybe you might be thinking that we are not playing well but we are missing two of our key players'' said Waqar of Saeed Ajmal and Mohammad Hafeez both suspended for illegal bowling actions. Hafeez also injured his calf before the World Cup and returned home to be replaced by Nasir Jamshed. ''The tournament will get tougher and tougher and we should be ready for that'' added Waqar. ''Of course we can we have done it in the past it''s not asking too much and we have beaten South Africa in South Africa'' said Waqar of Pakistan''s 2-1 one-day series win over the Proteas in late 2013. Waqar under whom Pakistan finished as semi-finalists at the 2011 World Cup said his team was capable of picking up steam. ''I think the crucial game will be against South Africa not only for qualifying but also for a morale booster. We need to beat a top team to get our confidence back.'' Waqar said the two wins over Zimbabwe and the UAE had restored belief. ''Of course I am relieved there is no doubt about that but the tournament is still open and we are keen to do well and this win will give us a boost and positive thinking for the next games.'' Pakistan will play Ireland in their last group game in Adelaide on March 15. Pakistan vs UAE Scoreboard NAPIER New Zealand March 4 (AFP): Complete scoreboard in the World Cup Pool B match between Pakistan and United Arab Emirates at McLean Park Napier on Wednesday. PAKISTAN: Nasir Jamshed c Khan b Guruge 4 Ahmed Shehzad run out 93 Haris Sohail c Anwar b Naveed 70 Sohaib Maqsood c Mustafa b Guruge 45 Misbah-ul-Haq c Mustafa b Guruge 65 Umar Akmal c Ali b Guruge 19 Shahid Afridi not out 21 Wahab Riaz not out 6 Extras: (lb3 nb1 w12) 16 Total: (for six wkts; 50 overs) 339 Did not bat: Sohail Khan Mohammad Irfan Fall of wickets: 1-10 (Jamshed) 2-170 (Sohail) 3-176 (Shehzad) 4-251 (Maqsood) 5-312 (Akmal) 6-312 (Misbah) Bowling: Naveed 10-0-50-1 (1nb 1w) Guruge 8-0-56-4 (2w) Javed 9-0-76-0 (2w) Tauqir 10-0-52-0 (1w) Khan 3-0-21-0 Chandran 8-0-58-0 Mustafa 2-0-23-0 (6w) UAE: Amjad Ali b Rahat Ali 14 A. Berenger c Akmal b Khan 2 K. Chandran c Akmal b Khan 0 Khurram Khan c Riaz b Maqsood 43 Shaiman Anwar c Jamshed b Afridi 62 S. Patil b Riaz 36 Rohan Mustafa c Shehzad b Afridi 0 Amjad Javed c Khan b Riaz 40 Mohammad Naveed not out 0 Mohammed Tauqir not out 0 Extras: (lb1 w112) 13 Total: (for eight wkts; 50 overs) 210 Did not bat: M. Guruge Fall of wickets: 1-19 (Ali) 2-19 (Berenger) 3-25 (Chandran) 4-108 (Khan) 5-140 (Anwar) 6-140 (Mustafa) 7-208 (Javed) 8-210 (Patil) Bowling: Irfan 3-1-2-0 Khan 9-2-54-2 (3w) Rahat 10-0-30-1 (2w) Riaz 10-1-54-2 (3w) Afridi 10-1-35-2 (3w) Maqsood 5-0-16-1 (1w) Sohail 3-0-18-0 Result: Pakistan win by 129 runs Toss: UAE Umpires: Sundaram Ravi (IND) and Johan Cloete (RSA) TV umpire: Richard Illingworth (ENG) Match referee: Chris Broad (ENG)
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