KEY POINTS:
KINGSTON, Jamaica - Imran Nazir's career-best 160 helped Pakistan rack up their highest World Cup total as they beat Zimbabwe by 93 runs in their final group D match at Sabina Park today.
The result provided a fitting end to the glittering career of captain Inzamam-ul-Haq who was
retiring from one-day internationals after this match.
Two defeats before this had ensured the 1992 champions' early elimination from the tournament.
Pakistan lost the toss and scored 349 in their 50 overs. Zimbabwe replied with 99 all out after being handed a revised target of 193 in just 20 overs following a 2-1/2-hour rain delay.
The result means that Zimbabwe were also eliminated from the tournament after Pakistan crashed out on Saturday.
Hosts West Indies and debutants Ireland meet on Friday and both also progress to the Super Eights stage.
In an emotion-filled morning, after a one-minute silence following the death of coach Bob Woolmer on Sunday and then a guard of honour send-off for Inzamam, Nazir dominated.
His 121-ball innings included 14 boundaries and a joint World Cup record eight sixes. Only Australia captain Ricky Ponting has scored as many at a World Cup, in the 2003 final.
Nazir was by far the mainstay of Pakistan's innings with the next highest scorer Inzamam with 37 in his final innings in a one-day international and as captain. Inzamam left the field in tears after being saluted by both teams.
The 25-year-old Nazir was fortunate to survive when he was on 31 after Gary Brent trapped him on the crease and television replays suggested he should have been lbw.
He also skied Brent to deep backward square leg when on 81 but Friday Kasteni dropped a straightforward catch and Nazir picked up a single. But he deserved his luck with some exhilarating stroke play.
When past three figures Nazir crashed left-arm spinner Sean Williams for six over midwicket and then showed enough composure to dab the next ball to the vacant third man boundary for four.
Nazir's previous highest score was 105 not out, his only other one-day century, also made against Zimbabwe seven years ago. Pakistan's total was also the eighth-highest in World Cups.
Zimbabwe were never in the game, either side of the rain break. They were 30-3 before the rain came and soon capitulated when given their arduous revised target.
All-rounder Elton Chigumbura's innings of 27 from 11 balls, including four sixes of which three in a row were hit off Danish Kaneria, was the highlight.
Kaneria finished with figures of two for 48 from four overs, while Shahid Afridi claimed three for 20 in his first match back after a four-game ICC ban for prodding a spectator with his bat in South Africa.
Mohammad Yousuf bowled the final over and took his first international wicket with his opening ball. Fittingly, Inzamam took the catch to close the game.
SCOREBOARD
Pakistan
K Akmal c Taylor b Chigumbura 15
I Nazir c Matsikenyeri b Mpofu 160
S Malik c Chibhabha b Williams 21
I Ul-Haq c Williams b Mupariwa 37
M Yousuf c and b Brent 3
Y Khan run out 28
S Afridi b Brent 16
M Sami c Utseya b Brent 5
R Iftikhar c Matsikenyeri b Chigumbura 32
U Gul b Chugumbura 10
D Kaneria not out 6
Extras (2lb, 12w, 2nb) 16
Total (all out, 49.5 overs) 349
Fall: 31, 88, 158, 170, 252, 285, 295, 301, 324, 349
Bowling: C Mpofu 10-1-74-1 (2w), Tawanda Mupariwa 10-1-57-1 (1w), Elton Chigumbura 6.5-1-50-3 (1nb, 1w), Gary Brent 10-0-68-3 (7w), Sean Williams 6-0-41-1 (1nb), Prosper Utseya 6-0-46-0 (1w), Chamu Chibhabha 1-0-11-0
Zimbabwe
(Target reduced to 193 to win off 20 overs)
V Sibanda c Nazir b Gul 0
C Chibhabha c Inzamam b Gul 3
F Kasteni c Inzamam b Sami 9
B Taylor c Younis b Kaneria 13
S Matsikenyeri run out 18
E Chigumbura b Afridi 27
S Williams c Gul b Kaneria 11
G Brent b Afridi 9
P Utseya not out 4
T Mupariwa b Afridi 0
C Mpofu c Inzamam b Yousuf 1
Extras (1lb, 1w, 2nb) 4
Total (all out, 19.1 overs) 99
Fall: 0, 12, 14, 45, 45, 77, 93, 94, 94, 99
Bowling: U Gul 5-1-10-2 (1nb), M Sami 5-0-15-1 (1w), D Kaneria 4-0-48-2, S Afridi 4-0-20-3, Y Khan 1-0-5-0, Mohammad Yousuf 0.1-0-0-1.
Result: Pakistan won by 93 runs (D/L method)
- REUTERS