Pakistan record first World Cup win

When Pakistan needed to stand tall, it seemed appropriate that it was giant quick Mohammad Irfan who inspired a 20-run World Cup win over a plucky Zimbabwe at the Gabba.

The 2.16m Irfan - the tallest bowler to play both first-class and international cricket - lifted Pakistan with a match-changing 4-30 on Sunday night.

He helped bowl out Zimbabwe for 215 in reply to Pakistan's 7-235 - a result that may just signal a World Cup turning point for the 1992 champions.

"He showed his class today and we expected he would come out the way he did," Zimbabwe wicketkeeper Brendan Taylor said of Irfan.

"I think we were playing the balls that shouldn't have been played, but he does make it a handful for you, and that's why he's a world-class performer."

Pakistan skipper Misbah-ul-Haq had drawn criticism after his team suffered heavy losses in their first two games, dropping to the bottom of Pool B.

But he did his best to silence the haters by compiling 73 off 121 balls at the Gabba to help Pakistan recover from 2-4 and 5-127.

Wahab Riaz also thrashed 54 off 46 balls before snaring 4-45 in a great all-round display.

Despite Zimbabwe's gutsy effort with the bat, Irfan ensured Pakistan lived to fight another day at the World Cup.

Zimbabwe were in with a shot at 4-128 before losing 5-40 as lanky left-arm speedster Irfan ran amok.

Taylor was Zimbabwe's top scorer with a 72-ball 50 but captain Elton Chigumbura was arguably his team's top performer, overcoming a pectoral injury suffered in the field to thrash a run-a-ball 35 that kept the game alive.

Taylor hoped his skipper would be fit for their next crunch match against Ireland on March 7 at Hobart.

"I just hope he's well because he's very important for us at the end of the innings, and if he was a little bit fitter and batting with someone who was just keeping the scoreboard ticking, there's a good chance we could have got over that line (against Pakistan)."

Plenty had been said about Pakistan following in the footsteps of their equally down-and-out 1992 compatriots and clinching an unlikely World Cup triumph.

However, Misbah admitted they were a hard act to follow on the challenging Australian decks.

"It's difficult to bat in Australia once you have lost confidence," he said.

"These conditions are not easy for the top order."

Pakistan take on UAE at Napier on March 4.