Shahid Afridi celebrates.
Pakistan made a winning start to their 2011 World Cup bid for a first title, with a crushing 205 runs win over Kenya, in Hambantota, Srr Lanka on Wednesday.
Batting first Pakistan was in fear of losing to another minnow as they did against Ireland in 2007.
Kenya’s Thomas Odoyo and Elijah Otieno showed good control with the new ball, with Otieno getting the first breakthrough of Mohammed Hafeez being caught at mid wicket by Seren Waters.
In the next over, Ahmed Shehzad, edged a delivery from Odoyo to Jimmy Kamande at mid-off, leaving Pakistan struggling at 12 for 2.
However, Kamran Akmal and Younis Khan eased the pressure with a 98 run second wicket partnership, taking the score to 110 before Akmal was stumped off the bowling of left-arm spinner Shem Ngoche for 55.
Khan was next to go leg before for 50 after sharing in a fourth wicket stand of 45 with Misbah Ul Haq.
U l Haq 65 and Umar Akmal were barely troubled as they set about compiling 118 runs for the fifth wicket with Ul Haq reaching fifty on his World Cup debut.
Umar later hit 20 off Otieno's seventh over as Pakistan sprinted to 250 in the 46th over.
In the 49th over, Odoyo got the wickets of Umar and Shahid Afridi from consecutive deliveries to find himself on a hat-trick, but speared the next ball acres down the leg side.
The innings eventually closed at 317 for 7 with Odoyo taking 3 for 41.
Kenya started their reply better than they did in their opening game with Maurice Ouma with 16 and Waters 17, posting 39, before Waters was dismissed.
Ouma was the second batsman to return to the dressing room, run out on 45 by Umar Akmal.
The Kenyan slide began in earnest when Afridi took to the attack.
He tempted Steve Tikolo down the pitch only for the ball to rush straight on to rattle the stumps, leaving Kenya on 73 for 3.
The Kenyans quickly lost their 7 wickets for 39 runs.
Afridi with 5 for 16 was the chief wrecking ball, after he ended a bustling innings from Tanmay Mishra and making short work of Jimmy Kamande and Thomas Odoyo with a mixture of leg breaks, sliders and quicker deliveries.
During this spell, Collin Obuya 47 opened up hitting three enormous sixes, but was caught on the boundary attempting a fourth to give Afridi the best figures in a World Cup by Pakistani bowler.
Kenya's innings ended in the 34th over, longer than their entire match against New Zealand three days ago.
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