West Indies send Pakistan crashing out of World T20

Holders West Indies sailed into the World Twenty20 semi-finals after Dwayne Bravo's power-hitting and Samuel Badree's lethal spin bowling fashioned their comprehensive 84-run victory over 2009 champions Pakistan on Tuesday.

Darren Sammy's men overcome a wobbly start to post a strong 166 for six before returning to bowl out Pakistan for 82 runs in 17.5 overs and set up a semi-final clash with Sri Lanka on Thursday.

India, who won the inaugural edition in 2007, take on South Africa in the second semifinal on Friday.

Opting to bat first in what was effectively a quarter-final contest, Bravo (46) and Sammy (42 not out) provided the late assault as West Indies plundered 59 runs in the last three overs to post a strong total at the Sher-e-Bangla National Stadium.

Pakistan's chase got off to a horror start with paceman Krishmar Santokie hitting Ahmed Sehzad's toe with the first ball of the innings to trap the in-form batsman leg before.

Leg-spinner Badree (3-10) then took over, wrecking the rivals with a three-wicket burst and Pakistan could not recover after they had been reduced to 13 for four in the sixth over.

Badree's spin colleague Sunil Narine (3-16) then ran through the top order to complete the rout.

The 19 runs Mohammad Hafeez scored was the highest individual score in the Pakistani collapse.

Earlier, Pakistan captain Hafeez drew first blood by removing Chris Gayle (five), arguably the most destructive batsman in 20-over cricket, to give his team a perfect start.

Hafeez lured Gayle out of the crease and beat his bat for Kamran Akmal to complete a simple stumping.

Lendl Simmons (31) and Marlon Samuels (20) somewhat arrested the slide with a 39-run stand before falling in quick succession.

Bravo then set alight the stadium with his sizzling power-hitting to revive West Indies before he ran himself out after a 26-ball blitz that included four sixes.

Sammy remained unbeaten after a breezy 20-ball knock as West Indies plundered 82 runs in the final five overs in their spectacular late surge.

Final Super-10 round standings in the World Twenty20 after Tuesday's matches (played, won, lost, tied, N/R, points, run-rate):

Group 1

Sri Lanka 4 3 1 0 0 6 +2.233
South Africa 4 3 1 0 0 6 +0.075
New Zealand 4 2 2 0 0 4 -0.678
England 4 1 3 0 0 2 -0.776
Netherlands 4 1 3 0 0 0 -0.866

Group 2

India 4 4 0 0 0 8 +1.280
West Indies 4 3 1 0 0 6 +1.971
Pakistan 4 2 2 0 0 4 -0.384
Australia 4 1 3 0 0 2 -0.857
Bangladesh 4 0 4 0 0 0 -2.072

Semi-final line-up: Sri Lanka v West Indies on Thursday; India v South Africa on Friday.
Final on Sunday.

PAKISTAN INNINGS

Defending champions West Indies have beaten Pakistan by 84 runs, their biggest victory margin in T20, to enter the semifinals of the ICC Twenty20 World Cup.

Chasing a stiff target of 167, Pakistan never recovered after losing the in-form Shehzad first ball to be bowled out for 82 in 17.5 overs.

West Indies will now meet Sri Lanka in the first semifinal on Thursday in a repeat of the 2012 World Twenty20 final.

Badree claimed three for 10 and Narine three for 16.

Gul is dropped by Narine but Simmons hangs onto a skier as Pakistan are all out for 82 in 17.5 overs.

Umar Gul c Simmons b Santokie 4 (7b 0x4 0x6)

It's all over bar the shouting for Pakistan with Ajmal being ninth out. Pak 78-9 in 16.5 overs.

Saeed Ajmal b Russell 1 (3b 0x4 0x6)

Narine completes an excellent spell returning figures of 4-0-16-3.

Afridi becomes Ramdin's fourth stumping victim as Narine claims his third wicket to end Pakistan's hopes. Pak 75-8 in 15.5 overs.

Shahid Afridi st Ramdin b Narine 18 (12b 0x4 2x6)

Sammy takes a good catch in the boundary as Tanvir perishes. Pak 74-7 in 15.2 overs.

Sohail Tanvir c Sammy b Narine 14 (12b 1x4 1x6)

Tanvir slams a boundary while Afridi hits a massive six off Smith over midwicket but Pakistan need 93 off 30 balls. Pakk 74-6 in 15 overs.Afridi belts Samuels over midwicket for his first six. Pak 57-6 in 13 overs.

Tanvir slams Narine for a six but Pakistan need more of those especially from Afridi who is their last hope of pulling off an improbable win. Pak 48-6 in 12 overs.

Narine strikes as Maqsood becomes another stumping victims of Ramdin. Pak 42-6 in 11.3 overs.

Sohaib Maqsood st Ramdin b Narine 18 (22b 1x4 1x6)

Hafeez perishes with Gayle pouching a skier. Pak 37-5 in 10.3 overs.

Mohammad Hafeez c Gayle b Russell 19 (32b 0x4 0x6)

Narine bowls an excellent opening over troubling Maqsood. Pak 35-4 in 10 overs.

Leg spinner Badree completes an excellent spell returning figures of 4-0-10-3. Pak 28-4 in 8 overs.

Maqsood opens his account with a massive slog sweep for a six over midwicket off Samuels. Pak 22-4 in 7 overs.

Pakistan's run chase is in tatters as Badree strikes again having Malik stumped by a mile. Pak 13-4 in 5.3 overs.

Shoaib Malik st Ramdin b Badree 2 (6b 0x4 0x6)

Pakistan are in deep trouble as Umar Akmal is gone beaten in flight by Badree with Ramdin effecting a superb leg side stumping. Pak 9-3 in 4 overs.

Umar Akmal st Ramdin b Badree 1 (5b 0x4 0x6)

Kamran fails again slapping Badree straight to mid-off. Pak 1-2 in 1.3 overs.

Kamran Akmal c Bravo b Badree 0 (3b 0x4 0x6)

Senstional start for Windies as Shehzad is trapped leg before first ball by Santokie with a full pitched delivery right on the money. Pak 0-1 in 0.1 overs.

Ahmed Shehzad lbw b Santokie 0 (1b 0x4 0x6)

WEST INDIES INNINGS

Blazing knocks by Dwayne Bravo (46) and Darren Sammy (42 not out) powered West Indies to 166 for six against Pakistan.

West Indies opting to bat first were struggling against the spinners despite a fluent start by Lendl Simmons (31 off 29 with two boundaries and two sixes) and were 81-5 after 14 overs.

Bravo clubbed four sixes and two sixes in his 26-ball 46 while Sammy cracked five boundaries and two sixes in his 20-ball unbeaten 42 during a blazing 71-run stand for the fifth wicket in just 32 balls.

West Indies plundered 82 in the last five overs, including 59 off the last three overs with Ajmal going for 24 in one.

The electrifying stand between Bravo and Sammy for the sixth wicket yielded 71 in 32 balls.

Bravo is run out after getting into a tangle and lost his bat with Kamran throwing down the stumps. WI 153-6 in 19.1 overs.

Dwayne Bravo run out 46 (26b 2x4 4x6)

Ajmal goes for 24 in the penultimate over as Bravo slams two consecutive sixes and Bravo clubs a six and a boundary. WI 152-5 in 19 overs.

Gul goes for 21 in a big over for West Indies as Bravo turns it on smashing two consecutive sixes and a boundary. WI 128-5 in 18 overs.

Sammy attacks Ajmal picking a couple of boundaries. WI 107-5 in 17 overs.

Bravo and Sammy get cracking with a boundary apiece off Babar. WI 95-5 in 16 overs.

West Indies are crumbling under spin with Ramdin perishing. WI 81-5 in 13.5 overs.

Denesh Ramdin c Umar Akmal b Zulfiqar Babar 5 (10b 0x4 0x6)

Afridi strikes bowling Samuels off an inside edge after being blasted for a six the previous ball. WI 67-4 in 10.4 overs.

Marlon Samuels b Shahid Afridi 20 (18b 1x4 1x6)

Simmons survives a close shout for a leg before off Afridi and attempting to steal single is run out by a direct hit. WI 61-3 in 10.1 overs.

Lendl Simmons run out 31 (29b 2x4 2x6)

Ajmal bowls an excellent opening over conceding just three runs as Windies reach 61-2 at the halfway stage.

Simmons has clubbed a short ball from Gul for his second six. WI 51-2 in 8 overs.

Samuels slams Tanvir through the covers for a boundary as Windies make 39-2 in the Powerplay overs.

Simmons hits out clobbering a huge six off Babar followed by a cracking boundary on the off. WI 32-2 in 5 overs.

Tanvir strikes as Smith nicks one behind for Kamran to take a smart low catch. WI 22-2 in 3.5 overs.

Dwayne Smith c Kamran Akmal b Sohail Tanvir 8 (13b 2x4 0x6)

Simmons and Smith bat positively despite the loss of Gayle hitting a boundary apiece clearing the infield. WI 21-1 in 3 overs.

Hafeez has struck a massive blow drawing out Gayle and having him stumped. WI 10-1 in 2.1 overs.

Chris Gayle st Kamran Akmal b Mohammad Hafeez 5 (4b 1x4 0x6)

Gayle flicks the first legal delivery from Tanvir past backward square leg for his first boundary.

Smith hits the first boundary of the math lofting the third ball from Hafeez over mid-on. WI 4-0 in 1 over.

West Indies have won the toss and opted to bat in the do-or-die clash against Pakistan for a berth in the seimfinals.

Both teams are unchanged from the last game.

PLAYING XI

Pakistan: Kamran Akmal, Ahmed Shehzad, Mohammad Hafeez, Umar Akmal, Shoaib Malik, Sohaib Maqsood, Shahid Afridi, Sohail Tanvir, Umar Gul, Zulfiqar Babar, Saeed Ajmal

West Indies: Dwayne Smith, Chris Gayle, Marlon Samuels, Lendl Simmons, Dwayne Bravo, Denesh Ramdin, Darren Sammy, Andre Russell, Sunil Narine, Samuel Badree, K Santokie

PREVIEW

The West Indies have an ace up their sleeve in Saqlain Mushtaq as the defending champions take on Pakistan in a make-or-break World Twenty20 encounter in Dhaka on Tuesday.

The winner of the night clash at the Sher-e-Bangla stadium will join India in the semifinals from group two of the Super-10s, condemning the loser to an early flight home.

Saqlain, the former Pakistan off-spinner, is a key member on the West Indies bench as their spin bowling consultant for the tournament, and his advice has benefited the team immensely.

The West Indies, better known for its battery of fast bowlers, now boast of two of the finest spinners in Twenty20 cricket in Samuel Badree, who opens with the new ball, and Sunil Narine.

Saqlain, the original master of the 'doosra' - the off-spinner's version of the googly - has also proved a calming influence on the usually cavalier Windies batsmen, giving them tips on how to play the turning ball.

West Indies captain Darren Sammy said Saqlain's serene presence and knowledge had proved a huge boost for his team, which will face a four-pronged Pakistan spin attack led by the prolific Saeed Ajmal.

"Saqlain has a lot of experience on the slow wickets that one gets in Bangladesh," he said.
"He's very calm guy who knows a lot about the game. He has been a good addition to our coaching staff."

Pakistan captain Mohammad Hafeez said Saqlain was entitled to work with other teams - just like compatriot Mushtaq Ahmed was doing with England - but that did not worry his team.

"He was a world-class spinner," Hafeez said of Saqlain, who retired 10 years ago with 208 Test and 288 one-day wickets. "But he does not have a magic formula, nor can he come and bowl himself.

"We believe in ourselves and I think our players are good enough to win the match," Hafeez told AFP.

The 37-year-old Saqlain said he was delighted to work with the West Indies, but declined to predict the winner of Tuesday's match.

"It's a great opportunity and honour to be associated with such a great team like the West Indies," Saqlain told reporters on Monday.

"I don't want to pick a winner, but the team which has better self-belief will win. My wishes are obviously with my team, which is the West Indies at the moment."

Saqlain said it was a matter of pride that spinners were performing so well in Twenty20 cricket.

"In Badree and Narine, the West Indies have two very good spinners," he said. "Every team has a good spinner now. I really feel happy for them."

Both Pakistan and the West Indies blossomed late in the tournament after losing their opening games to India, who sailed through to the semifinals as the only unbeaten team in the Super-10s.

Pakistan, the 2009 champions who made the semifinals in all four previous editions, revived their fortunes with a 16-run win over Australia before thumping hosts Bangladesh by 50 runs.

The West Indies thrashed Bangladesh by 73 runs before a spectacular late assault by Sammy handed them a last-over win over Australia.

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