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It was the Shahid Afridi showfor the third time in the ICC Cricket World Cup when the Pakistan skipper came to his side's rescue after Canada had threatened to follow Ireland's lead and pick up a major scalp in the competition. Canada had dominated the first session of play, bowling Pakistan out for a paltry 184, but were never really on top in their chase as the Pakistani bowlers had too much experience for the minnows. Afridi picked up 5 wickets for 23 runs to knock over Canada for just 138, their third consecutive sub 150 score in the tournament, and thus ease to victory by 46 runs.

Shahid Afridi has now picked up 14 wickets in the tourney and today became the first bowler to pick up 3 consecutive 4 wicket hauls in a World Cup. The Pakistan skipper has been in prolific form with the ball and the man who arrived on the scene as a hard hitting batsman who could roll his arm over a bit is now transformed into the most lethal bowler in the World Cup with almost double the number of wickets as his closest competitor in the bowling charts.

The day started with Pakistan once again showing their unpredictable nature as a terrible batting display saw them bowled out for just 184 runs in 43 overs. Their middle order had performed very well in the first two matches, but no one showed the hunger to play a long innings on Thursday, with the highest score of the innings being a sedate 48 from Umar Akmal. There was only one noteworthy partnership of 73 runs between Umar and Misbah-ul-Haq.

Pakistan won the toss and decided to bat, unperturbed by the slight cloud cover over the Premadasa. The ball moved around a bit early on and Canadian medium pacers Khurram Chohan and Henry Osinde were on the money right away. Osinde bowled a beautiful in swinger to trap Mohammad Hafeez in front of the wicket for 11. Hafeez hoped for reprieval with the aid of a review but three reds showed up on the screen and he had already taken the walk back.

Kamran Akmal steadied the ship with Ahmed Shahzad but Shahzad threw away another start as he hit one in the air which was brilliantly caught by the diving 16 year old Nitish Kumar. The story got worse for Pakistan as they lost two more wickets in quick succession when both Kamran Akmal (16) and Younus Khan (6) had departed with Pakistan in trouble at 67 for 4. Misbah and Umar held the innings together and kept nudging the ball around. Umar did pick up the odd boundary every now and again.

Things started looking good for Pakistan as both the batsman had settled in and were ready to up the tempo but the Canadian slow bowlers especially Balaji Rao, the leg spinner, did very well to keep them quiet. Balaji eventually picked up the wicket of Umar when he trapped in front of the stumps. Umar looked to refer the decision but Pakistan had no reviews remaining, and he had to make his way back two shy of what would have been a deserved half-century. Balaji also got rid of Misbah (37) when wicketkeeper Ashish Bagai caught a thin edge off a delivery bowled down the leg side. Boom-Boom Afridi looked dangerous as he hit a couple of good boundaries over the top but fell for 20 when Nitish took his second catch of the day off the bowling of Rizwan Cheema. The Canadians wrapped up the innings with the spinner Jimmy Hansra getting two wickets and Harvir Baidwan picking up the last wicket of Saeed Ajmal with a perfect yorker to end with three of his own.

Canada would have headed into the break knowing that should they bat the 50 overs, scoring 185 should come rather naturally. The only way for Pakistan to get anything from this game was to pick up wickets and it did not take the 1992 champions long to get the ball rolling. 

There were leg before appeals galore as the Canadian top order lacked the technique to cope with the Pakistan attack, and as has been the case all tourney alongside appeals there are plenty of referrals. The first referral came when a leg before shout against Ruvindu Gunasekera was turned down by Umpire Daryl Harper off the bowling of Umar Gul. Though Gul wasn’t too sure, Kamran Akmal requested a replay, and the decision was overturned and Pakistan had the much needed breakthrough.

There were more reviews with Umpire Harper being the main culprit of making wrong decisions. Canada successfully reviewed two decisions, but Abdul Razzaq gave Pakistan their second wicket when he bowled Nitish Kumar (2) off a ball that nipped back. Zubin Surkari and captain Ashish Bagai tried to build a partnership playing defensively. The pair saw off the new ball and put on 28 runs for the third wicket but Afridi set his stall early as he broke the important partnership with a referral once again after Umpire Harper had turned down the leg before appeal against Bagai. The Canadian skipper fell for 16, but was replaced by a much more confident Jimmy Hansra, who looked in good touch and threatened to take the game to Pakistan.

Canada reached 100 in the 33^rd over and with a big hitter Cheema to follow, there was definite potential for an upset. However, when Saeed Ajmal removed the sheet anchor Surkari leg before for 27 (67 balls), panic set into the Canada camp. Incidentally, the Surkari decision was the fourth successful television over-rule, almost as if deliberately done to make the much maligned UDRS look so desperately necessary. In truth though, Umpire Harper was having an awful evening in the field.

This was the beginning of the end for Canda as Afridi came back with a deadly spell. Quick and straight was the simple motto for the Pakistan skipper, and he picked up 4 wickets in 4 overs to leave Canada struggling at 130 for 8 wickets. Afridi though wasn't done for the day, affecting a brilliant run out to dismiss Balaji Rao for 1 and then being the perfect skipper by bringing by young Wahab Riaz to pick up the last wicket of the Canadian innings, to ensure that the World Cup debutant had a dismissal to take some confidence away from what was otherwise an ordinary outing.

Pakistan would have felt very disappointed with the effort with the bat, as they didn’t even play their full quota of 50 overs, but their true strength lies in their bowling and they proved it once again by dismissing Canada for 138. One can't help but wonder with Pakistan if they'll be able to defend just about any total they set!

The UDRS grabbed an equal share of the limelight on an exciting day of cricket, and one can't help but wonder what the future holds for technology in the sport. 

Canada will be bitterly disappointed at having failed to claim a memorable scalp after having been in the game till virtually the last 10 overs, when Shahid Afridi spun the tide Pakistan's way. Canada's bowling has been impressive in successive games, and they will hope they can raise their play with the bat when they take on fellow struggler Kenya in the game to save face next Monday at the Feroz Shah Kotla in Delhi.

Not even considered in the running for the title here at the World Cup at the start of this series, Pakistan now amazingly find themselves at the top of Group A, and will hope to cement that spot when they take on New Zealand at the Pallekele International Cricket Stadium in Kandy on Tuesday, the 8^th of March.

Teams:

Pakistan: Mohammad Hafeez, Ahmed Shehzad, Kamran Akmal (wk), Younus Khan, Misbah-ul-Haq, Umar Akmal, Shahid Afridi (c), Abdul Razzaq, Umar Gul, Wahab Riaz, Saeed Ajmal.

Canada: Nitish Kumar, Ruvindu Gunasekera, Zubin Surkari, Ashish Bagai (c & wk), Jimmy Hansra, Rizwan
Cheema, Tyson Gordon, Khurram Chohan, Harvir Baidwan, Henry Osinde, Balaji Rao.

Mini Scorecard:

Pakistan 184 all out (43 overs,4.27 runs per over)
Misbah-ul-Haq- 37(68 balls) Harvir Baidwan 3-35
Umar Akmal- 48(68 balls) Jimmy Hansra 2-23

Canada 138 all out in 42.5 overs (3.22 runs per over)
A Hansra 43(75) S Afridi 5-23
Z Surkari 27(67) A Razzaq 1-16

Pakistan won by 46 runs

Also Read more Match Previews: Sri Lanka vs Australia, India vs Ireland

File Photograph Copyright: ICC World T20