Cricket world cup: Sahid Afridi bamboozles Windies as Pakistan race into semis

Pakistan needed just 20.5 overs to reach their paltry target of 113 as Mohammad Hafeez made 61 off 64 balls and Kamran Akmal 47 off 61.

Their spinners had done the damage earlier in the day, Shahid Afridi taking four wickets for 30 and Hafeez and Saeed Ajmal claiming two each as the Windies were dismissed for 112 inside 44 overs, their third lowest World Cup total ever.

Pakistan will now play either India or Australia.

The West Indies were in trouble from the off as Umar Gul had Chris Gayle caught at mid-off for eight before off-spinner Hafeez trapped Devon Smith and Darren Bravo lbw in the space of four balls.

From 16 for three, Ramnaresh Sarwan and Shivnarine Chanderpaul put on 42, edging to 58 in 20 overs, but Afridi put an end to Sarwan's innings on 24. In his next over Afridi dismissed Kieron Pollard and Devon Thomas in successive balls.

Ajmal then joined in in the 28th over as he trapped Windies captain Darren Sammy lbw for just one and clean bowled Devendra Bishoo for nought.

Chanderpaul, who finished unbeaten on 44, shared a 40-run stand with Kemar Roach, who later fell to Abdul Razzaq for 16, before Afridi bowled Ravi Rampaul for a duck.

Hafeez then took charge with the bat as he and Akmal hurried Pakistan to 43 in just five overs.

Both survived early scares with Pollard unable to latch onto Akmal's fiery cut through point and wicketkeeper Thomas just failing to take a diving catch from Hafeez's inside edge.

Hafeez, who had been left one short of his half-century against Zimbabwe in the group stage, achieved the target this time. He hit nine boundaries in his 61 before Akmal (47) hit the winning runs.