STATS CORNER – Pakistan recorded their biggest victory in the World Cup by beating the West Indies by 10 wickets at Shere Bangla National Stadium, Dhaka, on Wednesday. Pakistan’s previous biggest win in terms of wickets in World Cup was nine wickets against the UAE at Gujranwala on February 24, 1996 and against New Zealand at Manchester on June 16, 1999. It was third time when Pakistan recorded a perfect 10 victory in limited overs international cricket. Their first such victory came against New Zealand at Sharjah on April 15, 1986 while the second perfect 10 win was against Bangladesh at Karachi on July 4, 2008.
Pakistan entered the semi-final of World Cup for the sixth time. They also played in last four in 1979, 1983, 1987, 1992 and 1999.
West Indies’ 10 wicket defeat was their biggest in terms of wickets in World Cup. New Zealand and South Africa shared the previous record of biggest victory in World Cup against the West Indies. New Zealand achieved a seven-wicket win at North Sound on March 29, 2007 while South Africa won the match by the same margin at New Delhi on February 24, 2011.
Pakistan also became the fourth team after India, England and Australia to beat West Indies by 10 wickets in ODIs. Their eight wicket victory at Sydney in January 1997 and at Lahore on November 4, 1997 was the previous biggest against the West Indies in ODIs.
Shahid Afridi equalled Australian Shane Warne and Sri Lankan Muttiah Muralitharan’s record of most four-wicket hauls in World Cup by taking four wickets for 30 in 9.3 overs. It was fourth four-wicket haul for Pakistan skipper in 19 World Cup matches and eighth four-wicket haul in 319 one day internationals.
Shane Warne also claimed four-four wicket hauls in 17 World Cup matches while Muttiah Muralitharan took same number of four-wicket hauls in 37 world Cup matches.
Shahid Afridi also set a new record of most wickets in a single World Cup for Pakistan by taking 21 wickets at 10.71 in seven matches. Wasim Akram with 17 wickets at 18.77 in 10 matches in the 1992 World Cup held the previous record.
The leg break googly bowler also became the 10th bowler to take 20 or more wickets in a single World Cup. Glenn McGrath is the only bowler to achieve this feat twice. The Australian fast bowler took 26 wickets at 13.73 in 11 matches in 2007 World Cup and 21 wickets at 14.76 in 11 matches in 2003 World Cup.
PERFECT-10 WINS IN WORLD CUP:
10 Wickets: India beat East Africa at Leeds 11-06-1975
10 Wickets: West Indies beat Zimbabwe
at Birmingham 20-06-1983
10 Wickets: West Indies beat Pakistan
at Melbourne 23-02-1992
10 Wickets: South Africa beat Kenya
at Potchefstroom 12-02-2003
10 Wickets: Sri Lanka beat Bangladesh
at Pietermaritzburg 14-02-2003
10 Wickets: South Africa beat Bangladesh
at Bloemfontein 22-02-2003
10 Wickets: Australia beat Bangladesh
at New Sound 31-03-2007
10 Wickets: New Zealand beat Kenya
at Chennai 20-02-2011
10 Wickets: New Zealand beat Zimbabwe
at Ahmedabad 04-03-2011
10 Wickets: Pakistan beat West Indies
at Dhaka 23-03-2011
