MIRPUR // Shahid Afridi, the Pakistan captain, played down his side's chances of winning the World Cup despite sweeping into the semi-finals with a 10-wicket win over West Indies in Mirpur.
Afridi again led the way with four wickets - taking his tally to 21 for the tournament - as West Indies were bowled out for a paltry 112, a target Mohammad Hafeez and Kamran Akmal chased down inside 21 overs.
It was a convincing success, on Pakistan's national day, that has further underlined their chances of winning the tournament for a second time.
And while Afridi had tipped his side to reach the last four before the tournament, he was unwilling to entertain thoughts of Pakistan going further just yet.
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"I'm very happy because before this competition I told my friends and the nation that with this team I wanted to play in the semi-finals," he said in an interview shown on Sky Sports 1.
"There will now be more expectations to go on.
"But I am just thinking game by game. The only thing we can do is give 110 per cent.
"Every team from now will come harder and harder.
"We will just keep making plans for each team and try and stick to those."
Pakistan face a tough task in the last four where they will meet the winner of today's match between India, the tournament favourites, and Australia, the three-time defending champions.
Pakistan beat Australia in their previous game, to end the Antipodeans' 34-game unbeaten World Cup run and top Group A, to underline their spoilers' potential after coming into the tournament as outsiders.
Afridi put his team's slightly unexpected run to the last four down to the planning of Waqar Younis, the coach.
"On each and every game we make plans with the coach and we stick to those plans," he said.
"Everyone has done a great job, especially the bowlers from the first game.
"This was a great performance, this is the best gift to give to my nation."
Darren Sammy, the West Indies captain, was left to reflect on the meekest of exits from the tournament, but believes a youthful side will learn from their disappointment.
"We definitely did not get enough runs," he said.
"They bowled well at us and we didn't counteract, hence we were bowled out cheaply. Throughout tournament we have been losing wickets to spin and today was no exception."
He added: "We look at our squad and have a number of players under the age of 27 which augers well for us.
"We have a few youngsters that should be around for next World Cup. We didn't play to our full potential at all in this tournament. When we do that we can beat any team on our day."
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Starring: Ajay Devgn, Tabu, Shantanu Maheshwari, Jimmy Shergill, Saiee Manjrekar
Director: Neeraj Pandey
Rating: 2.5/5
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UK-EU trade at a glance
EU fishing vessels guaranteed access to UK waters for 12 years
Co-operation on security initiatives and procurement of defence products
Youth experience scheme to work, study or volunteer in UK and EU countries
Smoother border management with use of e-gates
Cutting red tape on import and export of food
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MATCH INFO
Karnataka Tuskers 110-5 (10 ovs)
Tharanga 48, Shafiq 34, Rampaul 2-16
Delhi Bulls 91-8 (10 ovs)
Mathews 31, Rimmington 3-28
Karnataka Tuskers win by 19 runs
Women’s World T20, Asia Qualifier
UAE results
Beat China by 16 runs
Lost to Thailand by 10 wickets
Beat Nepal by five runs
Beat Hong Kong by eight wickets
Beat Malaysia by 34 runs
Standings (P, W, l, NR, points)
1. Thailand 5 4 0 1 9
2. UAE 5 4 1 0 8
3. Nepal 5 2 1 2 6
4. Hong Kong 5 2 2 1 5
5. Malaysia 5 1 4 0 2
6. China 5 0 5 0 0
Final
Thailand v UAE, Monday, 7am
Global state-owned investor ranking by size
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Profile Idealz
Company: Idealz
Founded: January 2018
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Marathon results
Men:
1. Titus Ekiru(KEN) 2:06:13
2. Alphonce Simbu(TAN) 2:07:50
3. Reuben Kipyego(KEN) 2:08:25
4. Abel Kirui(KEN) 2:08:46
5. Felix Kemutai(KEN) 2:10:48
Women:
1. Judith Korir(KEN) 2:22:30
2. Eunice Chumba(BHR) 2:26:01
3. Immaculate Chemutai(UGA) 2:28:30
4. Abebech Bekele(ETH) 2:29:43
5. Aleksandra Morozova(RUS) 2:33:01
Conflict, drought, famine
Estimates of the number of deaths caused by the famine range from 400,000 to 1 million, according to a document prepared for the UK House of Lords in 2024.
It has been claimed that the policies of the Ethiopian government, which took control after deposing Emperor Haile Selassie in a military-led revolution in 1974, contributed to the scale of the famine.
Dr Miriam Bradley, senior lecturer in humanitarian studies at the University of Manchester, has argued that, by the early 1980s, “several government policies combined to cause, rather than prevent, a famine which lasted from 1983 to 1985. Mengistu’s government imposed Stalinist-model agricultural policies involving forced collectivisation and villagisation [relocation of communities into planned villages].
The West became aware of the catastrophe through a series of BBC News reports by journalist Michael Buerk in October 1984 describing a “biblical famine” and containing graphic images of thousands of people, including children, facing starvation.
Band Aid
Bob Geldof, singer with the Irish rock group The Boomtown Rats, formed Band Aid in response to the horrific images shown in the news broadcasts.
With Midge Ure of the band Ultravox, he wrote the hit charity single Do They Know it’s Christmas in December 1984, featuring a string of high-profile musicians.
Following the single’s success, the idea to stage a rock concert evolved.
Live Aid was a series of simultaneous concerts that took place at Wembley Stadium in London, John F Kennedy Stadium in Philadelphia, the US, and at various other venues across the world.
The combined event was broadcast to an estimated worldwide audience of 1.5 billion.
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
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Our legal advisor
Ahmad El Sayed is Senior Associate at Charles Russell Speechlys, a law firm headquartered in London with offices in the UK, Europe, the Middle East and Hong Kong.
Experience: Commercial litigator who has assisted clients with overseas judgments before UAE courts. His specialties are cases related to banking, real estate, shareholder disputes, company liquidations and criminal matters as well as employment related litigation.
Education: Sagesse University, Beirut, Lebanon, in 2005.
The National's picks
4.35pm: Tilal Al Khalediah
5.10pm: Continous
5.45pm: Raging Torrent
6.20pm: West Acre
7pm: Flood Zone
7.40pm: Straight No Chaser
8.15pm: Romantic Warrior
8.50pm: Calandogan
9.30pm: Forever Young
What can victims do?
Always use only regulated platforms
Stop all transactions and communication on suspicion
Save all evidence (screenshots, chat logs, transaction IDs)
Report to local authorities
Warn others to prevent further harm
Courtesy: Crystal Intelligence
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Killing of Qassem Suleimani
Dust and sand storms compared
Sand storm
- Particle size: Larger, heavier sand grains
- Visibility: Often dramatic with thick "walls" of sand
- Duration: Short-lived, typically localised
- Travel distance: Limited
- Source: Open desert areas with strong winds
Dust storm
- Particle size: Much finer, lightweight particles
- Visibility: Hazy skies but less intense
- Duration: Can linger for days
- Travel distance: Long-range, up to thousands of kilometres
- Source: Can be carried from distant regions
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The years Ramadan fell in May
