Cricket World Cup: West Indies crush Pakistan

Lendl Simmons of the West Indies celebrates with teammates after taking a catch during the side's Cricket World Cup win over Pakistan. Photo / Getty Images

The reading of the last rites of West Indian cricket may have proven premature.

Yes, today's crushing World Cup win was against Pakistan, themselves appearing a serious rabble, but the manner in which the West Indies cantered to victory was impressive after their tournament began with such a dispiriting outing against Ireland.

The Windies are now, given the weakness of their pool, assured of progression to the quarter-finals if they beat Zimbabwe and the United Arab Emirates. And while the knockout stages will be a tough ask, who knows which West Indies side will show up.

Will it be the mob who watched with apparent disinterest as Ireland chased down 305 on Monday, or the side that showed at Hagley Oval how many match-winners they boast within their ranks? (And not the dreadlocked opening batsman that immediately springs to mind.)

For a second straight match the West Indies' middle-order strength shone through, helping them progress from 106-3 at the halfway mark to post 310-6. And, after allowing Ireland to cruise to their target earlier in the week, a combination of devastating bowling from Jerome Taylor and calamitous batting from just about everyone wearing a Pakistan uniform saw the Calypso Kings win by 150 runs.

There's no denying Pakistan were poor. Historically poor, even, slumping to 1-4 and surpassing Canada's 4-4 effort against Zimbabwe in 2006 as the worst start in one-day internationals. That disarray matched a fielding display that saw four catches grassed and a bowling unit that allowed 89 runs from the final six overs.

But the West Indies did almost everything right after making a mediocre start, pacing their own innings to perfection and erupting with the type of clean hitting to rival any other side in the tournament.

Andre Russell was especially explosive at the death, smacking four sixes to plunder 42 runs from 17 balls, before returning to the crease to claim 3-33 with the ball and complete a fine all-round match.

His clean hitting capitalised on the foundation built by Denesh Ramdin and Lendl Simmons, who both scored better than a run-a-ball in reaching half-tons, along with a stubborn knock from Darren Bravo, ended on 49 by a hamstring strain.

And it was a good thing everyone from No3 down delivered to varying degrees, considering the top of the order remains in a sickly state. Dwayne Smith's struggles should be expected, considering the opener averages an anemic 18.79 from 100 one-day internationals, but Chris Gayle's are also becoming the new normal.

Gayle's four from 14 balls hardly aligns with his fearsome reputation but, as he has repeatedly demonstrated over the last two years, that reputation is no longer deserved in international cricket.

Gayle averages 18.80 since the start of 2013 and he's been even worse in the last 14 months, scoring a total of 178 runs to sit 10th among all West Indians since the turn of 2014.

But the Windies can win at this tournament without the Gayle of old suddenly reappearing, particularly if Taylor and Jason Holder can deliver an opening spell akin to what they managed today.

A recovery from 1-4 never looked on the cards and, while Sohaib Maqsood and Umar Akmal saved some face with half-centuries, a succession of ugly shots doomed Pakistan to a heavy defeat.

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