Afridi power steers Pakistan to win

Colombo: Captain Shahid Afridi recorded his second within five wickets as Pakistan beat Canada by 46 runs in their clash at the World Cup Stadium Premadasa in Colombo on Thursday.
Chasing 185, Canada got off to poor start losing their first three wickets with 44 runs on board in 17.1 overs.
Umar Gul gave Pakistan the first breakthrough when he trapped Ruvindu Gunasekera plumb in front of the gate and in the next over, Nitish Kumar edged Abdul Razzaq delivery to his stumps.
Afridi then trapped his Canadian counterpart Ashish Bagai plumb before wicket in the third breakthrough. Afridi went to the judge immediately after Daryl Harper acknowledged Bagai not out and got a decision in favor of Pakistan.
With 60-Run for the fourth wicket partnership, Surkari and Jimmy Hansra was stabilized Canada to Pakistani spinners struck in quick succession.
Saeed Ajmal Surkari trapped plumb in front of the gate and got it in their favor after a visit to the review.
Afridi then took four wickets in three places to rock Canada. Afridi clean bowled the first big hit with googly Rizwan Cheema.
In his next over, clean bowled Afridi Hansra and Harvir Baidwan become the first bowler to take three consecutive four wicket hauls in the World Cup cricket.
In his next over, Afridi was caught Tyson Gordon Wahab Riaz to register his fifth five-wicket distance.
Previously, Canada produced an energetic display bowling to restrict former champions Pakistan to 184.
Pakistan found a disciplined attack Canada hot stick, as after prefer to bat, they lost wickets at regular intervals, finally, complete from within a 200-run mark in 43 overs.
If it were not for 73-Run fifth wicket stand between Misbah-ul-Haq (37) and Umar Akmal (48), Pakistan could add up to less total, as they lost their last six wickets for just 44 runs.
India-born medium pacer Harvir Baidwan was selected from Canada's bowlers with figures of three for 35 runs while Jimmy Hansra (2 / 23), Rizwan Cheema (2 / 33) and Balaji Rao (2 / 50) caught two wickets apiece to the verdict of Pakistan.
Although there were no demons in the field, Pakistan are off to a shaky start as the 1992 champions lost their first four batsmen for just 67 runs after electing to bat.
Opener Mohammad Hafeez began positively, as he took Henry Osinde for special treatment in their first and second innings over, slapping his right hand pacer for back-to-back boundaries.
But Osinde took revenge in the first delivery of his next over, trapping Hafeez LBW, but not before the batsman went on to review, which went against him.
Baidwan struck another blow for Canada in the ninth over, dismissing Ahmed Shehzad caught Gordon in the mid-on.
Baidwan then trapped Younis Khan LBW in the 13 meters with a full length delivery that was leaning toward the middle and leg, causing the batsman to go for another failure of the review.
And then two overs later, Kamran Akmal also went caught at backward point region Nitish Kumar from Chima for a dream start in Canada.
But then came all the reliable Misbah and together with young Umar Akmal, he stabilized the rocking Pakistani ship with 73-Run booth.
After a shocking start, the duo took their time to settle in the main, as they are treated with ones and twos with the occasional boundary between them during their 117-ball partnership.
Still, hard work, when it was time for Misbah and Akmal Umar accelerate, foot-and-counter Rao Twin blows inflicted by rejecting as many batsmen with Pakistan scoreboard reading 165 / 6.
Rao, the first capture Umar plummet before wicket just two short of his half-century, and then four overs later, he was Misbah caught Captain Asish Bagai behind the stumps.
Pakistan skipper Shahid Afridi (20) and all-rounder Abdul Razzaq failed to live up to its reputation with the third victim of the former becomes Chima's.
Jr. did very little to help the cause of Pakistan as they lost their last four batsmen in a shell of the three works.