Pakistan claim semi-final place

Junaied Siddique made 71 on his debut © Getty Images

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Pakistan defeated Asian rivals Bangladesh by four wickets at Newlands to prolong their stay in Cape Town for the World Twenty20 semi-finals.

Shoaib Malik’s team completed a clean sweep of Group F, having previously seen off Sri Lanka and Australia, and will now face the second-placed team of Group E - one of South Africa, India or New Zealand.

Shahid Afridi charged Pakistan towards their modest 141-run victory target with a typically pugnacious 39, off only 15 deliveries.

Opener Afridi attacked from the off, spiralling his first ball over the covers for a couple and smashing his next for four.

The first of his two brutally-struck sixes arrived in the third over of the innings as Mashrafe Mortaza was clubbed over wide long-on.

It was a fate left-armer Syed Rasel also suffered the very next ball after removing Mohammad Hafeez for the initial breakthrough.

Afridi perished in the next over, the seventh of the innings, when he cut hard at left-arm spinner Abdur Razzak to be caught behind.

Wicket-keeper Mushfiqur Rahim followed that fine take by stumping Younus Khan off a leg-side wide by Razzak.

But that trot of three Pakistan wickets for 10 runs - which left the chase at 69 for three in the ninth - proved an isolated spell of success for the Bangladesh bowlers.

It was Pakistan misjudgements that accounted for three further wickets - including a run-out caused by Salman Butt daydreaming at the non-striker’s end.

Bat also dominated ball at the start of the contest, after Malik won the toss.

Bangladesh’s teenage opener Junaid Siddique revelled on his international debut but there was little in support of a fine 71, from only 49 deliveries.

Shahid Afridi hit 39 from 15 deliveries © Getty Images

The left-hander struck six fours and three sixes but his 10 colleagues managed just one other boundary between them as Pakistan’s spinners suffocated the scoring with regular wickets.

Aftab Ahmed was second top scorer with 15, one of only three other Bangladesh players to reach double figures.

Afridi may now retain his position as explosive hitter at the head of the innings.

“I don’t want to put pressure on any player, so I asked him the day before yesterday and he said he wanted to open the batting,” said Malik.

“I said ‘that’s fine’ and it’s good for our team.”

Bangladesh, like England, finished the second-round stage without a point, yet their efforts may be viewed as a success.

“I feel our boys have done a really good job here,” said captain Mohammad Ashraful, who at 23 is one of the senior players.

“We beat the West Indies and played decent cricket.

“In two games we were just missing 20 runs each time but it was not a bad tournament for us.”