Pakistan progress to Super 8s with 8-wicket win over B'desh

Pallekele: Pakistan opener Imran Nazir smashed 72 off 36 balls to lead his team into the Super Eight stage at the World Twenty20 with an emphatic eight-wicket victory over Bangladesh

Pakistan win by eight wickets and have romped home with the bat, Bangladesh were all over the place with the ball and in the field and are going home, while

Pakistan go down to Colombo to play in the Super Eights. It ended up being a touch one-sided which was a shame after the excellent effort batting first, particularly Shakib-al-Hasan, but Pakistan have achieved their highest successful chase and ensure there is no upset in this year's World T20 with all the minnows going home at the group stage and realistically, looking rather out of place.

Just to confirm, the Super Eight stages were pre-arranged by the seedings so it doesn't matter who has won the groups, the teams in each section of the next phase were known long ago. Pakistan, therefore, take their place alongside India, Australia and South Africa in Colombo.

Mushfiqur Rahim:' The pressure was on us as we did not do well in the first game. Boys worked really hard. Shakib played a blinder. Pakistan's batting and bowling was better. We can take some positives and go home and try and work out. We are not used to playing on these kind of wickets. We will try to work on our game.'

It was a dismal performance with the ball from Bangladesh. They showed a lot of spirit with the bat, Shakib led the way there but there was no one to do a similar role with the ball. The pacers were guilty of bowling too many short deliveries. Imran Nazir put them away in style and together with Hafeez, the duo ensured that Pakistan made it through with little trouble.

Hafeez:'I think it's a great team effort. Boys have showed right attitude. Things were not working for Bangladesh. The way Nazir approached the target was great. Everything was working for him. There is a little bit of concern as far as fast bowling is concerned. Bangladesh bowled well, but Nazir was too good. When we chase, we try to get a good start. Nazir and Jamshed are doing really well. We had a good time here. I am really happy with the way the boys are responding. '

Imran Nazir is the Man of the Match

"It's a great team effort, the boys have shown the right attitude so far in this tournament," says Mohammad Hafeez. "Our bowler's tried well but there is a little bit of a concern about the fast bowlers. But I am very happy as captain and the team are responding to me." Man of the Match is also on the Pakistan side, and it goes to Imran Nazir for his smashing 72 from 36 balls.

Imran Nazir: 'Thanks to my family, they prayed for me. The coach has given me a lot of confidence to play my natural game. In cricket it doesn't matter if it is Kandy or Colombo, I'll try to play the same way and do well'

So that concludes a very uninspiring group stage with all the matches firmly going one way. There have been glimpses of the entertainment this tournament could provide but we're yet to have that spark, that tight match to get everyone on the edge of their seats. Hopefully the Super Eights can give us that and we'll all be back after a day's break for the start of that second phase as Sri Lanka play New Zealand at 3.30 IST on Thursday. England and West Indies also in action that evening, before attentions turn to Colombo on Friday.