Cricket Match Predictions: ICC Cricket World Cup 2007 - Pakistan v Ireland

In our new feature series - Who would have predicted that? – we are looking back at matches where there were big upsets or extraordinary individual performances that turned matches on their head.

Today, in our series of Cricket Match Predictions - Who would have predicted that? we are looking at Pakistan v Ireland in the 2007 ICC Cricket World Cup. If Tennessee Fanduel Sportsbooks had been around then maybe they would predicted what was about to unfold, who knows?

Ireland won the toss and decided to bowl against Pakistan in this crucial Group D match and the only predictable thing about Pakistan, at this time, was their unpredictability – which Pakistan team would turn up today?

The result of this match would determine whether Pakistan would progress through to the Super 8s.

 Match Summary

Pakistan 132 (45.4 Ovs) – (Imran Nazir 24, Kamran Akmal 27, Mohammad Yousuf 15, Mohammad Sami 12; Boyd Rankin 3-32, Andre Botha 2-5, Kyle McCallan 2-12, Dave Langford-Smith 1-31, Dave Langford-Smith 1-20, Kevin O Brien 1-29)

Ireland 133-7 (41.4 Ovs) – (Niall O Brien 72, William Porterfield 13, Kevin O Brien 16*; Mohammad Sami 3-29, Iftikhar Anjum 2-29, Mohammad Hafeez 1-15, Shoaib Malik 1-9)

Result - Ireland won by 3 wickets (with 32 balls remaining) (D/L method)

It was St Patrick’s Day and Trent Johnson won the toss for Ireland and he decided that Ireland would field. Put into bat first,  Pakistan scored a meagre 132 in 45.4 Overs with Imran Nazir 24, Kamran Akmal 27, Mohammad Yousuf 15 and Mohammad Sami 12 the only players to get into double figures and Boyd Rankin 3-32, Andre Botha 2-5, Kyle McCallan 2-12, Dave Langford-Smith 1-31, Dave Langford-Smith 1-20 and Kevin O Brien 1-29 the wicket takers for Ireland.

Fall of Wickets: 7-1 (Hafeez, 0.6), 15-2 (Younis Khan, 3.3), 56-3 (M Yousuf, 12.5), 58-4 (Inzamam-ul-Haq, 13.1), 66-5 (I Nazir, 17.6), 72-6 (Shoaib Malik, 20.3), 103-7 (A Mahmood, 30.2), 105-8 (Kamran Akmal, 30.5), 130-9 (Sami, 43.1), 132-10 (Umar Gul, 45.4)

It was felt that a score of over 150 from Pakistan would have been enough and Ireland were now in with a chance of a major upset.

In the run chase, Ireland scored 133-7 in 41.4 Overs, giving them a famous victory by 3 wickets -  Niall O Brien 72, William Porterfield 13 and Kevin O Brien 16* were the main run getters and Mohammad Sami 3-29, Iftikhar Anjum 2-29, Mohammad Hafeez 1-15 and Shoaib Malik 1-9 the wicket takers for Pakistan.

A great victory for Ireland and more devasting news was to follow for Pakistan when, their Coach, Bob Woolmer, was found unconscious in his hotel room and later died in hospital.

Fall of Wickets: 7-1 (J Bray, 3.1), 15-2 (Morgan, 5.3), 62-3 (Porterfield, 20.6), 70-4 (A Botha, 23.6), 108-5 (Niall O Brien, 33.6), 113-6 (A White, 34.5), 113-7 (McCallan, 34.6)

 Teams

Ireland - Jeremy Bray, William Porterfield, Eoin Morgan, Niall O Brien (wk), Andre Botha, Kevin O Brien, Andrew White, Kyle McCallan, Trent Johnston (c), Dave Langford-Smith, Boyd Rankin

Pakistan - Imran Nazir, Mohammad Hafeez, Younis Khan, Mohammad Yousuf, Inzamam-ul-Haq (c), Shoaib Malik, Kamran Akmal (wk), Azhar Mahmood, Mohammad Sami, Iftikhar Anjum, Umar Gul

Match Details

Pakistan v Ireland 9th Match, Group D, ICC World Cup, 2007

Date: Saturday, March 17, 2007

Toss: Ireland won the toss and decided to field

Time: 2:30 PM

Venue: Sabina Park, Kingston, Jamaica

Umpires: Billy Bowden, Brian Jerling Third Umpire:Simon Taufel Match Referee: Chris Broad

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