Believe it or not, Pakistan has been knocked out of the 2007 World Cup. With two losses in two matches, they have no hope of going any further since Ireland already has three points and the West Indies will surely have four after they have played Zimbabwe.

On a day of upsets, Pakistan ran into a determined Ireland team that fielded as if their life depended on it! Two brilliant catches to get rid of Kamran Akmal and Azhar Mahmood highlighted the difference between the teams. Ireland was always in command right through the game and it showed when they choked Pakistan out completely. The best partnership for Pakistan was 41 runs between Mohammed Yousuf and Imran Nazir.

Pakistan has been a team that has been accused of being troubled with internal troubles and although Inzamam ul-Haq has vehemently denied any such thing, the obvious was there for everyone to see. No depth in bowling, batsmen woefully out of form and fielding like they were schoolboys.

The Pakistan batting looked like they were on a holiday. They played shots when they should have been watchful and the fact that three batsmen got out playing the pull shot showed their attitude.

The Irish batting did find the going tough against the pace of Mohammed Sami and Umar Gul, and had Pakistan managed another 50 runs, the result could well have been in their favour. As it turned out, rain almost played a part and Ireland on by only three wickets and Pakistan will be left wondering about what could have been.

Bob Woolmer and Inzamam will have a lot of explaining to do for a campaign that was jinxed from the beginning. Shoaib Akhtar, Mohammed Asif and Abdur Razzaq were missing from the line-up and their presence would certainly have prevented such an ignominious exit. Pakistan is now the first major team to have exited in the first round and the presence of Ireland (almost confirmed) in the second round will offer the other teams the chance of an easy win. But we really think it would be foolish to count on any easy wins after two upsets on the same day.

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Ireland, coach Adrian Birrell
On Irish team
"We won the toss, we had tremendous support." - "We are a side that is capable of upsets. We've done it before and we drew on that belief of past experiences"

On upsetting Pakistan
"You don't really expect to beat a major test country like that but we have said all along that funny things can happen."

On Pakistan's key players being out due to injury
"We played against the 11 players that went onto the field, obviously they were under-strength but we said if there was ever a chance that we could upset them it was St. Patrick's Day," " We beat the best 11 that Pakistan could put out and that's all we can play against."

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