CASTRIES, St. Lucia, CMC:
AN INJURY to big-hitting Shahid Afridi forced Pakistan to forfeit their key match against the West Indies yesterday, sending the Caribbean side through to the World Double-Wicket Championship semi-finals at the Beausejour Stadium.
Carl Hooper and Chris Gayle effected six dismissals to reduce Pakistan to a minus 23 score.
Hooper took four for 16 and Gayle two for 12 as Afridi (-15) and Wasim Akram (-8) were unable end with a plus total in the format that deducts 10 runs each times the batting team loses a wicket.
The West Indies did not reply as the Pakistanis surrendered the points, deciding not to risk Afridi aggravating his injury ahead of today's semi-finals.
With victories on Friday over England and Zimbabwe, the West Indies ended their Group One schedule with maximum six points, topping Pakistan (4), England (2) and Zimbabwe (0).
In today's semi-finals, West Indies play Sri Lanka and New Zealand face Pakistan.
Earlier yesterday, Pakistan (41) had defeated England's Andrew Flintoff and Adam Hollioake by three runs to set up the group decider against the West Indies.
England claimed their only win in the round when they scored 112 to defeat Zimbabwe (Guy Whittall and Alistair Campbell) by 96 runs.
In Group Two, New Zealand registered wins over South Africa and Australia to claim the top spot and a place in the semi-finals.
The South African pair of Steve Elworthy and Allan Donald, posted 34, and New Zealand, with Jacob Oram (48) and Danny Vettori (21) responded with 73 for a 39-run victory.
New Zealand returned to squeeze a close win over Australia, by four runs.
Greg Blewett and Australia-based John Davison, who represented Canada at the 2003 World Cup, gathered 53 runs for the Australians, and the Kiwis surpassed them by posting 57.
Sri Lanka snatched the last semi-final berth when they defeated South Africa by 28 runs in the last game yesterday.
