Pakistan opened their World Cup campaign with a thumping 205 run win over an unimpressive Kenya in a group A match at Mahinda Rajapaksa International Cricket Stadium in Hambantota on Wednesday.
For Kenya it is their second consecutive defeat in the mega-event after being demolished by New Zealand by 10 wickets in their tournament-opener on Sunday. Score
Pakistan will next play Sri Lanka in Colombo on Saturday.
Against Kenya, Pakistan produced an all-round display as after piling up a mammoth 317 for seven on the board, they dismissed the minnows for a paltry 112 in 33.1 overs.
Even though he failed with the bat, skipper Shahid Afridi (5/16) led from the front while defending the target and returned with a five-wicket haul to notch up the comprehensive victory for the former champions.
For Kenya only four batsmen reached double figures with Collins Obuya top-scoring with a gutsy 47 off 58 balls.
Apart from Afridi, pacer Umar Gul picked up two Kenyan wickets giving away just 12 runs.
Earlier, Pakistan's middle-order came up with a splendid batting display to steer the team to a massive 317 for seven after opting to bat.'
Shrugging off a poor start, Kamran Akmal (55), Younis Khan (50), Misbah-ul-Haq (65) and Umar Akmal (71) chipped in with valuable half-centuries each to post a challenging total.
While it was the experienced duo of Younis and Kamran, who helped the team recover from an early stutter, Misbah and Umar capitalised on it to pile up huge runs.
From 12 for two in 6.5 overs, Younis-Kamran lifted Pakistan to 110 for three, sharing a crucial 98-run third-wicket stand before quickfire knocks from Misbah and Umar turned the tide completely in Pakistan's favour.
Misbah scored 65 off 69 balls with the help of one four and two sixes, while Umar hit 71 off 52 balls, including eight fours and a six as they put up 118 runs for fifth wicket.
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