A tearful Inzamam-ul-Haq at yesterday's post-match press conference at Sabina Park.Norman Grindley/Deputy Chief Photographer Tony Becca, Contributing Editor
PAKISTAN, POWERED by Imran Nazir who cracked 160 runs off 121 deliveries, ended their disappointing campaign at the 2007 Cricket World Cup in style at Sabina Park yesterday with an emphatic victory over Zimbabwe.
Going into their final match of Group D, Pakistan, who had lost their two previous matches - one to the West Indies, the other surprisingly to Ireland and were therefore without a hope of moving into the second round, bade farewell in a grand manner as they chalked up 349 off 49.5 overs and then, after Zimbabwe had slipped to 14 for three, after they had limped to 30 for three off 10.2 overs before rain intervened, and after they were set, by the Duckworth/Lewis system, a target of 193 off 20 overs, Pakistan nailed the African side for 99 in 19.1 overs.
In streaking past their previous best of 338 for five against Sri Lanka in Swansea in 1983, Pakistan, champions of 1992, smashed 16 sixes and 27 fours, with Nazir leading the massacre.
Highest innings to date
In the highest individual innings of the tournament to date, in the highest one-day innings at Sabina Park, Nazir, batting for 187 minutes and facing a mere 121 deliveries, blasted eight sixes and 14 fours in a scintillating display during which, despite one blemish when he was dropped at 81 at square-leg by Friday Kasteni off Gary Brent, he showed no respect for anyone, not even for Christopher Mpofu who picked up his wicket when he drove to captain Prosper Utseya in the covers at 295 for seven in the 45th over.
One of Nazir's sixes, the longest one, the one which went farther than any during the innings, was a front-foot hit, like a golfer's drive off the tee, off pacer Mpofu that landed in the stand behind long on.
The bowler who was really destroyed by Nazir, however, was Utseya the off-spinner, who was greeted with a lovely chip and drive over long off, and who was driven out of the attack with a sweep over the square-leg boundary and a drive that flew straight and into the stands behind the unfortunate bowler.
With Kamran Akmal reeling off some crisp drives before he went on to the back foot against Elton Chigumbura, edged a catch to wicketkeeper Brendan Taylor, and departed the scene for 15 at 31 for one in the seventh over; with Shoaib Malik enjoying himself while stroking two fours and hitting one six before he carelessly ran down the pitch to left-arm spinner Sean Williams, turned back and tapped a catch to Chibhabha at cover and went away for 21 at 88 for two in the 18th over; with captain Inzamam-ul-Haq batting like a man playing with his children and stroking two fours and hitting three sixes while scoring 37 off 35 deliveries before, at 158 and in his last innings in one-day cricket, he went at Tawanda Mupariwa and skied a catch into the covers; and after Mohammad Yousuf was caught and bowled by Brent for three at 170 for four, with Younis Khan stroking the ball sweetly before he was run out for 27 at 252 for five in the 41st over, Pakistan's batsmen, despite the tragic death of coach Bob Woolmer, really enjoyed themselves.
After strolling to their first 50 in 54 minutes off 75 deliveries, the finalists of 1999 danced to their second 50 in 36 minutes off 50 deliveries, to their third 50 in 19 minutes off 35 deliveries, to the their fourth 50 in 30 minutes off 46 deliveries, to their fifth 50 in 16 minutes off 23 deliveries, and to their sixth 50 in 29 minutes off 35 deliveries before finishing off things with the final 49 runs coming in 20 minutes off 27 deliveries.
With the odds against them scoring 350 off 50 overs to win the match, Zimbabwe got into early trouble and never recovered.
After only the second delivery of the innings, Vusimuzi Sibanda was on his way caught by Nazir at point off Umar Gul for zero at zero; in the fifth over it was 12 for two when Chibhabha drove at Gul and edged a catch to Inzamam at first slip; and in the following over, bowled by Mohammad Sami, it was 14 for three when the left-handed Kasteni went on to the back foot and edged a catch to Inzamam.
After a break of 2 1/2 hours due to rain, it was all over in 35 minutes as Zimbabwe, facing the almost impossible task of getting another 163 runs off 9.4 overs to win the match, went for broke, hit five sixes, and lost seven wickets for 69 runs in 8.5 overs.
Inzamam says farewell
Audley Boyd, Assistant Sport Editor
INZAMAM-UL-HAQ, captain of the Pakistan team undera cloud due to circumstances surrounding the death of its coach, Bob Woolmer, made an emotional farewell from one-day cricket following his team's 93-run ICC Cricket World Cup victory over Zimbabwe at Sabina Park yesterday.
Inzamam-ul-Haq, who has represented his country in one-day internationals for close to 17 years, was not asked to comment on the death of Woolmer following a request by team manager and spokesman, Pervez Mir, at the post-game press conference."Before we start, can I request that your questions remain to this match and also, as you know, it's Inzamam's last one-day game for Pakistan as a player and, of course, as a captain, so it'd be nice if you can ask him relevant questions about the match only, thank you," requested Mir.
The international media obliged in a mood reflecting the respect it had for one of the world's foremost cricketers in a difficult time.Inzamam-ul-Haq said as much.
Difficult decision
"It is indeed a very difficult decision that I've taken because I've played the last 16-17 years for Pakistan and to play for Pakistan has always been an honour for me. It is indeed a difficult decision but I had to make a decision and I've taken it," the skipper said of his retirement, which came after news of Woolmer's passing broke on Sunday.
The team had lost both its previous games, to the West Indies by 54 runs and Ireland in a three-wicket shocker, to be eliminated from the tournament and the Pakistani skipper said Woolmer's death inspired their performance yesterday.
"Yes, this game was dedicated to Bob and this morning when we got up we were down but we said we'd get up and give 100 per cent effort for Bob. It was indeed a very difficult period for all the players. The last three to four days have been very difficult for all of us and we were under a lot of stress but yes, we came out and we did it for Bob."
Ul-Haq, who made 37 off 35 balls, got a handshake from his teammates who lined up to show their honour and respect as he left the field one last time. He cried.
"It was emotional for me and Bob not being here made me extra emotional," he said.
"All the cricket I've played I've played with sincerity and all the boys I've played with have played with sincerity and that is the legacy that I'm leaving behind, to play with sincerity."
