Scorecard:

Shahid Afridi (five for 23) struck with the ball again to help Pakistan score what was eventually a comprehensive win over Canada in the World Cup match at the Premadasa stadium on Thursday.

Chasing a modest 185 to win, Canada could manage only 138.

Afridi's effort helped Pakistan to their third straight win in this edition and second in two meetings over Canada.

It was also the former champions 10^th win in 17 matches – against six defeats – at the Premadasa, while the result also helped bolster the overall record of the teams batting first at the venue – in 75 day/night games played at the venue, the team batting first has won a whopping 46 and the team batting second only half the number.

That's all for the day.

Thanks for being with us. Good night folks!

Scorecard:

The Canadian tail didn't wag long.

Balaji Rao (1) is run out soon after and when Wahab Riaz accounted for Henry Osinde, it is all over.

Canada has been dismissed for just 138.

An easy 46-run win for Pakistan.

Scorecard:

Afridi, the bowler, completes a well-deserved five-wicket haul, courtesy a spectacular catch by Wahab Riaz.

Riaz runs in from long-off to take a blinder to send Tyon Gordon (9) back to the pavilion and gift his captain his fifth wicket.

It is Afridi's fifth five-wicket haul in ODIs.

Canada's dreams of an upset win is over.

Scorecard:

Afridi soon came back to clean up Rizvan Cheema (4) to add to Canada's woes.

It was Afridi's 11th wicket of the competition.

The 12th came in his next over, when the dangerous Hansra was cleaned up.

And a ball later, the Pakistani captain had cleaned up Harvir Baidwan (0).

Scorecard:

The fourth wicket partnership between Surkari and Hansra has crossed the 50-run mark.

If they continue in the same manner, Pakistan can consider this game a lost cause.

Hansra has now taken his team total past the 100-run mark with a massive six over long-off off Hafeez.

The bowler is left shaking his head in disbelief. Hansra has settled down well and is looking dangerous now.

Ajmal has appeled for a leg before and it is referral time again.

This time the decision is in favour of Pakistan.

Surkari goes for 27, thereby brininging to an end a 60-run partnership.

Scorecard:

Wahab Raiz's fourth over has cost Pakistan nine runs, including boundaries for both Hansra and Surkari.

Saeed Ajmal has gone for five in the opening over and Mohammad Hafeez is hit for a boundary by Hansra.

18 runs in three overs, Canada seem keen to increase their scoring rate.

Afridi here is guilty of not setting an aggressive field, just four fielders in the circle makes no sense when the intention is to take wickets.

The Canadians are taking advantage of this and are managing to keep the scoreboard ticking.

Scorecard:

They have lost just three wickets but things seem to be getting tougher for Canada.

With the pitch slowing down considerably as the match progresses, and the North American struggling with their scoring rate, it is a matter of time before Pakistan will completely take over.

The crowd has stopped reacting and even though they keep playing the loud music to enliven the sagging spirits, it is more irritating than entertaining.

Scorecard:

Another referral has got Pakistan its third wicket.

Umpire Daryl Harper rules Ashish Bagai not out even as Shahid Afridi is convinced he has got his man.

The referral suggests the Pakistan skipper is right.

The Canadian skipper departs after making 16.

New batsman begins with a boundary.

Scorecard:

Canada has managed just 25 runs in its first 10 overs as opposed to Pakistan's 44 in the same stage.

Both the teams lost two wickets at the stage.

Blame it on the wicket, but this match is a slow affair.

Afridi has brought himself into the attack in the 12th over.

Will he make a difference? Will he enliven the proceedings?

The answer is no, as of now.

Besides two boundaries from Bagai's blade not much happens in the second powerplay.

Scorecard:

Zubin Surkari eases the pressure a bit with a boundary of Gul through midwicket.

However, captain Ashish Bagai had the DRS to thank to as he survives a leg before decison given by the umpire off the same bowler.

Afridi has apparently gone to the umpire to tell him that the batsman had a look at the dressing room before he went for the review.

Harper warns Bagai. Gul again appeals a few balls later, but Bagai has edged this one.

Scorecard:

The Pakistani bowlers have managed to induce a couple of edges but nothing much for the Canadian batsmen to worry about.

The important question is for how long will these young Canadian duo manage to survive this pace barrage?

Kumar has survived a loud leg before shout from Umar Gul, that went up for a referral.

However, Gunasekara is not as lucky. Gul traps him leg before the next ball.

And in the next over, Abdul Razzaq trapped Kumar leg before. Canada go for a review and that helps. Not for long though.

Razzaq cleans up Kumar soon after.

Scorecard:

Chasing a modest total, Canada has got off to a steady start against Pakistan.

Two youngsters, Ruvindu Gunasekara, 19, and Nitish Kumar, 16, are opening the batting for Canada.

Scorecard:

Abdul Razzaq (8) hasn't survived long either, Hansra trapping him leg before in the next over.

And three balls later, Wahab Riaz (0) was caught by Balaji Rao at slips.

With just one wicket left and eight overs to bat, Pakistan had no option but to opt for the batting powerplay in the 43rd over.

Not that it helped much.

Baidwan cleaned up Saaed Ajmal (0) in the first over of the powerplay to take his third wicket and end the Pakistan innings.

The former champions could not even bat out their full quota of overs.

That's it for now. Join us for the second innings update in about an hour's time.

Scorecard:

Having started out well, a lot was expected from Shahid Afridi (20).

However, the Pakistani captain has flattered to deceive, hitting a Rizwan Cheema delivery straight to Nitish Kumar at backward point.

What more, it was a full toss.

Scorecard:

Shahid Afridi has managed to ease some pressure soon after coming in to the crease.

The Pakistan captain has hit Baidwan for successive boundaries, the first over mid-off and the second wide of deep midwicket.

His arrival at the crease has re-energised the crowd.

They are back blowing trumpets, blowing whistles and making the noises they are expected to make.

His arrival has also inspired Misbah (37), the batsman has managed to score his first boundary, wide of short third man in the 60th ball that he faced.

However, in trying to up the ante he lost his wicket, getting stumped by Bagai off Balaji Rao.

Scorecard:

Just when things looked good for Pakistan, Canada has got another breakthrough.

Umar Akmal (48), who was playing a good little innings, has been trapped leg before by Balaji Rao.

The youngster's innings was inclusive of four hits to the fence and one over it and his fifth wicket partnership with Misbah yielded his team 73 runs in just under 20 overs.

Scorecard:

After displaying enthusiasm early on, the few people at the Premadasa have since become quite.

Meanwhile, Misbah and Umar continue to rebuild the Pakistan innings.

It is a 50-plus partnership for the fifth wicket, and something that has come in at a right time for Pakistan.

The latter is predictably the more aggressive of the two batsmen in the crease.

Scorecard:

Misbah and Umar's steady stand is helping the Pakistan cause considerably.

However, there progress has been slow.

Blame it on the fall of wickets early on in the innings.

Scorecard:

The Canadian bowling is suddenly looking too good.

Or is it the Pakistan batting?

Shahid Afridi must never have imagined this when he opted to bat.

A quickfire knock from him, scheduled to come in next, will definitely help.

For the moment though Umar Akmal has given the Pakistan fans something to cheer, smashing Balaji Rao over midwicket for the first maximum of the innings.

He and Misbah are doing a good job rebuilding the Pakistan innings.

Scorecard:

Misbah is twice fortunate in the 19th over bowled by Baidwan.

First he survives a run out attempt as Baidwan's throw misses the stumps.

Two balls later, Jimmy Hansra makes a lazy effort to catch at square-leg.

Will Misbah make most of his good fortune?

Scorecard:

Pakistan lose their fourth wicket.

Rizwan Cheema accounts for Kamran Akmal, caught by Nitish Kumar at backward point.

Akmal faced 38 balls for his 16.

Is it going to be another upset?

Scorecard:

The second ball Misbah-ul Haq faces, there's a loud appeal for stumping. The umpire has gone upstairs.

But the batsman is going to be safe in this case.

Pakistan can ill-afford to lose another wicket at this stage.

The second powerplay has produced just 14 runs at the cost of Younis Khan's wicket.

Pakistan need to pull up their socks.

Scorecard:

Having lost two early wickets has slowed down the pace of the Pakistan innings.

The Men in Green reached the 50-run mark in the 12th over.

Then Baidwan struck for a second time, having Younis Khan (0) out leg before.

Another referral, another rejection.

Pakistan three down.

What's happening here folks?

Scorecard:

Harvir Baidwan has given Canada a second breakthrough.

He has had Ahmed Shehzaad (12) caught by Tyson Gordon at mid-on.

However, in the ensuing celebration, Ashish Bagai, the Canadian captain and wicketkeeper seems to have hurt himself.

He has had his foot taped.

Scorecard:

The highly-rated Ahmed Shehzad has eased the pressure a bit with a boundary left of midoff, off Khurram Chohan.

Kamran Akmal couldn't get a run of the first eight balls he faced. The ninth he has cut through covers for a boundary.

Khurram Chohan is in trouble now. He is pain having bowled three balls in the seventh over.

He has left the field, leaving Tyson Gordon to complete the over.

We will come out with the details of his injury soon.

Scorecard:

Canada make an early breakthrough here.

Hafeez has been given out leg before, to Osinde.

He, however, opted for the review (DRS).

The umpire's decision stands. And Hafeez walks back.

He scored 11.

Scorecard:

Pakistan got off to a sedate start against Canada at the Premadas stadium on Thursday.

After a slow opening over, Mohammad Hafeez hit successive boundaries (both pull shots) off Henry Osinde.

Few minutes to go for the match but where is the crowd?

There are at most 100-150 odd people in the stadium.

And that number is less than the number of media representatives covering the game.

Sad, but true.

Pakistan won the toss and captain and captain Shahid Afridi had no hesitation in opting to bat first.

"It's a good wicket and in the second innings the ball may stay low and turn," reasoned Afridi.

His opposite number, Ashish Bagai, concured.

"We also would have batted first," he admitted.

The former champions made two changes to the squad that beat Sri Lanka here a few days back.

Saeed Ajmal and Wahab Riaz have made their way into the squad in place of Rehman and Shoaib.

Hi,

Welcome to the live coverage of the World Cup tie between Pakistan and Canada here at Colombo.

Shahid Afridi's team will be looking for their third straight win, having won their two opening matches in a comprehensive manner.

On paper the match looks like being a one-sided affair.

However, with Ireland shocking England at Bangalore the other day, no resulted can be taken for granted.

On second thoughts, it is too much to expect Canada to repeat Ireland's feat. What one can expect though is for them to at least be competitive enough to make the match an interesting affair.