PALLEKELE, Sri Lanka, March 14,(AFP): Former champions Pakistan sailed into the quarter-finals of the World Cup with a seven-wicket win over Zimbabwe in a rain-affected Group A match at Pallekele stadium on Monday. Pakistan, set a revised 162-run target in 38 overs under the Duckworth-Lewis formula, successfully achieved that in 34.1 overs on the back of an unbeaten 78 by Asad Shafiq and Mohammad Hafeez (49). The victory gave the 1992 winners eight points from five matches and a place in the last eight, sending Zimbabwe packing after the first round. New Zealand, Sri Lanka and defending champions Australia make up the other qualifiers from Group A. The final group standings will depend on the results of the remaining matches in the first phase. The top four teams will also qualify from Group B. Pakistan’s target looked tricky as Zimbabwe bowled a tight line and length. Left-arm spinner Raymond Price (2-21), opening the attack, dismissed opener Ahmed Shahzad (eight) in his second over. Price and Utseya then bowled two maiden overs before Hafeez and Shafiq - playing his first World Cup match in place of injured Umar Akmal - opened up with some attractive drives. Hafeez fell one short of his half-century, caught off Utseya after hitting six boundaries during his 65-ball knock.

Shahid Afridi promoted himself to number four but managed just three runs. Shafiq and Younis Khan (13 not out) saw Pakistan home.
Shafiq hit seven boundaries during his sedate 97-ball knock.
Earlier, seamers Umar Gul (3-36), Abdul Razzaq (1-24) and Wahab Riaz (1-21) removed Zimbabwe’s top four for just 43 after Elton Chigumbura won the toss and chose to bat in overcast conditions. Spinners Afridi and Hafeez, with a wicket each, further derailed Zimbabwe, who at the first rain break were 96-5.
Left-hander Craig Ervine fought a lone battle, hitting a patient 52 off 82 balls with five boundaries for his third ODI fifty, before Hafeez bowled him in his first over.
Chigumbura (32 not out) and Prosper Utseya (18) added 48 for the seventh wicket.
Zimbabwe made a disastrous start, losing in-form Brendan Taylor off the fifth ball of the innings, caught off Razzaq by wicket-keeper Kamran Akmal.
Gul made it 5-2 when he dismissed Regis Chakabva off the last ball of the second over, before removing Vusimuzi Sibanda (five) shortly afterwards.
Ervine and Tatenda Taibu added 30 for the fourth wicket before Wahab Riaz, in for Shoaib Akhtar, had Taibu caught off a miscued drive at mid-off by Afridi for 19.
Zimbabwe play their last match against Kenya on March 20.
Pakistan are keen to finish top and avoid a more tricky assignment in the last eight.
A win over defending champions Australia in Colombo on Saturday will go a long way in helping that ambition.

“We will definitely play well against Australia. It’s a match which we’ll take very seriously,” said skipper Shahid Afridi, whose side are a point better off than the champions but who have played a game more.
Man of the match Umar Gul, who took 3 for 36 on Monday, said his team had already started planning to face Australia.
“We are looking forward to the game against Australia. We have done our homework, we will do our best,” said the seamer. Afridi also paid tribute to Asad Shafiq, who made an unbeaten 78 in his debut World Cup appearance.
“Shafiq played an amazing knock,” said the skipper.
Shafiq top-scored for Pakistan after replacing the injured Umar Akmal in the line-up while opener Mohammad Hafeez hit 49.

“It’s always great to play your first match in the World Cup and finish like this,” said 25-year-old Shafiq.
“I knew my strengths and played to them. I have learnt a lot from (former Pakistan skipper) Mohammad Yousef and I am trying to learn more from him.”
Pakistan restricted Zimbabwe to 151-7 in 39.4 overs before a second rain interruption curtailed their innings.
Left-hander Craig Ervine fought a lone battle, hitting a patient 52 off 82 balls with five boundaries for his third ODI fifty.
Pakistan were set a revised target of 162 off 38 overs which they reached in the 35th over.
Defeated skipper Elton Chigumbura said the team’s batting let them down when they were 43-4.
“We lost too many wickets first up. From there it was tough to come back into the game, and the rain also made it hard for us to get some momentum,” said the captain.

Pakistan vs Zimbabwe Scoreboard
Complete scoreboard of the rain-shortened World Cup Group A match between Pakistan and Zimbabwe at Pallekele stadium on Monday:
ZIMBABWE
B. Taylor c Kamran b Razzaq 4
R. Chakabva lbw b Gul 0
T. Taibu c Afridi b Riaz 19
V. Sibanda c Misbah b Gul 5
C. Ervine b Hafeez 52
G. Lamb c and b Afridi 16
E. Chigumbura not out 32
P. Utseya c Kamran b Gul 18
Extras: (lb2, nb1, w2) 5
Total: (for seven wkts; 39.4 overs) 151
Fall of wickets: 1-5 (Taylor), 2-5 (Chakabva), 3-13 (Sibanda), 4-43 (Taibu), 5-84 (Lamb), 6-103 (Ervine), 7-151 (Utseya)
Bowling: Razzaq 7-1-24-1 (w1), Gul 7.4-1-36-3 (nb1), Riaz 6-0-21-1, Afridi 8-0-33-1, Rehman 8-1-24-0 (w1), Hafeez 3-0-11-1
Note: Match reduced to 43 overs a side after first rain interruption before a second break ended Zimbabwe’s innings after 39.4 overs. Pakistan’s target under Duckworth-Lewis formula was set at 162 in 38 overs

PAKISTAN
Mohammad Hafeez c Price b Utseya 49
Ahmed Shahzad st Taibu b Price 8
Asad Shafiq not out 78
Shahid Afridi b Price 3
Younis Khan not out 13
Extras: (w13) 13
Total: (for three wkts; 34.1 overs) 164
Fall of wickets: 1-17 (Shahzad), 2-99 (Hafeez), 3-110 (Afridi)
Bowling: Masakadza 6-1-44-0 (w9), Price 8-1-21-2 (w3), Utseya 7-1-24-1, Lamb 7-0-44-0, Cremer 6.1-0-31-0 (w1)
Result: Pakistan won by seven wickets on Duckworth-Lewis method
Toss: Zimbabwe
Umpires: Nigel Llong (ENG) and Tony Hill (NZL). TV umpire: Marais Erasmus (RSA)
Match referee: Chris Broad (ENG).

Standings
P W L T NR Pts NNR
Q – New Zealand 5 4 1 0 0 8 +1.957
P W L T NR Pts NNR
Q – Pakistan 5 4 1 0 0 8 +0.729
Q – Sri Lanka 5 3 1 0 1 7 +2.705
Q – Australia 4 3 0 0 1 7 +1.645
Zimbabwe 5 1 4 0 0 2 -0.669
Canada 5 1 4 0 0 2 -2.046
Kenya 5 0 5 0 0 0 -3.005

Group B
India 5 3 1 1 0 7 +0.768
West Indies 4 3 1 0 0 6 +2.206
South Africa 4 3 1 0 0 6 +1.352
Bangladesh 5 3 2 0 0 6 -0.765
England 5 2 2 1 0 5 +0.013
Ireland 4 1 3 0 0 2 -0.444
Netherlands 5 0 5 0 0 0 -2.386

Note: Q denotes qualified.