JOIN USPakistan and the West Indies secured the two remaining places in the World Cup quarterfinals on Sunday after coming through in must-win matches in the last of the tournament’s group games.
Pakistan, the 1992 champions, beat Ireland by seven wickets in a winner-takes-all clash in Adelaide. Earlier in Pool B, the West Indies saw off the United Arab Emirates by six wickets in Napier.
The West Indies' win saw the 1975 and 1979 champions edge out Ireland for a last-eight place on net run rate.
The quarterfinals begin with Sri Lanka’s match against South Africa in Sydney on Wednesday, while defending champions India face Bangladesh in Melbourne on Thursday.
Australia take on Pakistan in Adelaide on Friday, as tournament co-hosts New Zealand play the West Indies in Wellington on Saturday.
The Ireland-Pakistan match took place almost eight years to the day since the Irish knocked the Asian giants out of the 2007 World Cup. That defeat for Pakistan in Jamaica was followed the day after by the death of coach Bob Woolmer. There was no repeat of Ireland’s celebrated victory as Pakistan posted their fourth straight win of this World Cup, including a victory over highly-fancied South Africa, after starting the tournament with two straight losses.
Sarfraz Ahmed scored his maiden one-day international hundred and Pakistan's first of the tournament as they made 241 for three, chasing 238 to win with 23 balls to spare.
Earlier, the West Indies knew they had to win and then hope the Ireland-Pakistan didn't end in a tie or a no result—outcomes that would have knocked them out.
The West Indies did their job in making 176 for four after dismissing the UAE for 175.