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Important matches for Pakistan and Australia─── 08:41 Wed, 04 Mar 2015
Australia has just got their game underway against new boys on the block Afghanistan at the WACA in Perth.
The co-hosts are four-time champions and win today will of vital importance to the side.
Australia currently occupies the fourth spot on the log in Group A after their one wicket loss to the Black Caps last week.
Although they hammered England, their abandoned match against Bangladesh sees them behind the Tigers in the standings.
The Afghans who beat Scotland by one wicket in Dunedin last week entered the match with a lot of confidence after their first ever would cup win and feel they can shock the Aussies.
Australian skipper Michael Clarke said they themselves are confident and is of the view that cricket is all about learning from what has gone wrong in the past.
At McLean Park in Napier, Pakistan are busy facing the United Arab Emirates in their Group B match.
The UAE won the toss this morning and in an interesting move decided to field first.
While the Hawks of Quraish haven’t won a single game yet, the minnows have pushed some of the more established sides hard in their first World Cup in 19-years.
Pakistan who haven’t been firing on all cylinders for late scored 339 for six in their allotted 50 overs.
Ahmed Shezad top scored with 93 runs, Haris Sohail added 70 to the score and captain Misbah-ul-Haq scored 65 of 49 deliveries.
Manjula Guruge was the pick of the UAE bowlers with four wickets for 56 runs.
Before the match, Ul-Haq said they have to win all their remaining games in the group phase to claimed the third spot behind India and South Africa.
Pakistan next face the Proteas on Saturday at Eden Park in Auckland, in another game which will be considered big by both teams.
The slower pitches in the land of the long white cloud will without a doubt suite Pakistan, however South Africa believe that they’ve ticked all the boxes going into the game.
After their 201 run win over Ireland in Canberra, the Proteas are once again oozing with confidence.
Yesterday the Proteas became the first team to score 400 runs or more One Day International cricket in back-to-back matches.
Captain AB de Villiers feels his boys are on the right track and says for the last year he has felt they can win the world cup, however added there’s still a lot of hard work lying ahead.
At Saturday morning’s match in the picturesque North Island city gets underway at 3am.
Morgan Piek / OFM News
Listen to the Cricket World Cup morning wrap - 4 March:
