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Play is due to start at 1430 BST (TMS coverage begins at 1415)
1426: Players are out now, and this is some speaker system they’ve got at the Beausejour, blasting out Soviet-style triumphal anthems by the sounds of things. Odd. We’ll have some play in five minutes…
1420: … as for England, they’re the safest bet to make the cut: for them to be knocked out, the Black Caps will have to beat them by 30 or more runs, and South Africa will have to beat Pakistan by 43 or more runs - then New Zealand and South Africa will both have higher net run-rates than England.
Pakistan: Shahid Afridi (captain), Salman Butt, Kamran Akmal (wicketkeeper), Mohammad Hafeez, Umar Akmal, Misbah-ul-Haq, Khalid Latif, Abdul Razzaq, Abdur Rehman, Saeed Ajmal, Mohammad Aamer.South Africa: Graeme Smith (captain), Jacques Kallis, Herschelle Gibbs, AB de Villiers, Albie Morkel, JP Duminy, Mark Boucher (wicketkeeper), Johan Botha, Roelof van der Merwe, Dale Steyn, Charl Langeveldt.
1417: For defending champions Pakistan, this is do or die - defeat and they’re out. However, if they win and England beat New Zealand later, they could still go through to the semis because their net run-rate is superior to New Zealand and South Africa. If Graeme Smith’s men are to go through, they need to beat Pakistan but also hope England can beat New Zealand. However, if New Zealand win, the Proteas will likely go out… although a big win over Pakistan and a narrow win for New Zealand might see them through. And they say a hung parliament is the author of infinite permutations…
1408: A change apiece for the teams, with Pakistan replacing paceman Mohammad Sami with batting all-rounder Khalid Latif and South Africa bringing spinner Roelof van der Merwe in at the expense of seamer Morne Morkel. Suggestions, too, that Herschelle Gibbs will open the batting for South Africa with Jacques Kallis dropping down into the middle order.
1355: Hello. Pakistan skipper Shahid Afridi has won the toss in St Lucia and his side are going to have a bat. Looks like decent conditions at the Beausejour Cricket Ground and a pretty good batting track, although a little on the slow side apparently, so there should be some turn.
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