Although the matches of the ongoing World Cup Cricket 2011 started on 19th February, the first match played by Pakistan was on 23rd February against Kenya – and what an impressive and forceful start by Pakistan. Pakistan overpowered Kenya in what is the largest margin victory of Pakistan of 205 runs in the earlier championships of the World Cup.
What was special about this match was the five wickets bagged by the fiery Boom Boom captain of Pakistan team, Shahid Afridi, who dismissed five Kenyans for just 16 runs. This also made him the best bowling captain in all the World Cups played so far, breaking earlier such performance by a captain (Kapil Dev's five for 43 against Australia at Nottingham on June 13, 1983). No other captain has produced a five-wicket haul in the world cup. Afridi's 5-16 are also the best by a Pakistani bowler in the world cup, surpassing Wasim Akram's five for 28 against Namibia at Kimberley on February 16, 2003. Misbah and Umar of Pakistan also scored 118 to set a new 5th wicket partnership record for Pakistan, while Kamran Akmal, Younis Khan, Umar akmal and Misbah hit half centuries, the second instance for Pakistan and the ninth in the world cup.
Kenya too made a record on all ODIs and World Cup matches – 37 wide balls. Kenya's 205-run loss is their second biggest by runs margin in ODIs - their biggest is by 208 runs to South Africa at Cape Town on October 22, 2001. While Pakistan's win is the largest by any team in the world cup against Kenya, surpassing New Zealand's 148-run win at Gros Islet on March 20, 2007.
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