Former champion Pakistan overcame an early wobble before powering to victory over struggling Kenya on Wednesday, underlining the strength of the subcontinent's teams at the World Cup.
Pakistan slipped to 12-2 before four successive batsmen made half-centuries and the 1992 World Cup winner racked up 317-7. Skipper Shahid Afridi then took 5-16 to spin Kenya out for just 112 in Hambantota for a commanding 205-run win in Group A.
Also Wednesday, the ICC reprimanded Ricky Ponting for his behaviour after the Australia captain damaged a TV set in the dressing room following his run out against Zimbabwe in Ahmadabad.
Pakistan made its impact on the pitch, following the lead of fellow subcontinent heavyweights India and Sri Lanka, who also opened with 300-plus scores in one-sided victories.
West Indies and South Africa meet in New Delhi on Thursday in what should be an evenly matched contest, although the South Africans are tipped to edge it.
Kamran Akmal, Younis Khan, Misbah-ul-Haq and Umar Akmal all made fifties as Pakistan posted a formidable total and never looked like losing. Umar Akmal dished out the most punishment with 71 off just 52 balls, with eight fours and a six.
Pakistan had lost openers Mohammed Hafeez and Ahmed Shehzad in nine deliveries, but the next four batsmen put the side convincingly back on course.
Kenya gave away 46 extras, 37 of them through wides, in a wayward bowling performance that was followed by a miserable batting show under Afridi's unnervingly fast legspin bowling.
Afridi's figures gave Pakistan cricket fans a big reason to smile after recent off-field troubles, which included a squabble over who should lead the team. Afridi will have won over any doubters with Wednesday's performance.
The victory also ensures that Pakistan's next game against Sri Lanka is a mouthwatering meeting on Saturday of two teams full of confidence and strongly suited to the local conditions.
"It was a good start, but I think the next game is very important for us," Afridi said. "It will be harder and we have learnt a lot of things from here."
With the World Cup following form so far, Darren Sammy thinks his West Indies team will cause the first upset when it plays three-time semifinalist South Africa at the Feroz Shah Kotla stadium.
Sammy said there was "a quiet confidence" within the West Indies camp, backed by the presence of match-winning all-rounders Chris Gayle, Kieron Pollard and Dwayne Bravo.
South Africa has its own reasons to be confident, with skipper Graeme Smith describing its spin bowling combination as the best it's ever had in the subcontinent.
Both captains did agree that the Kotla pitch in New Delhi was a mystery ahead of the Group B match, having been re-laid after its last international game in 2009 was abandoned due to an unplayable surface.
"It's an unknown factor. We don't really know what to expect," Smith said.
Sammy added: "We will have to wait and see when the first ball is bowled to see how the pitch is going to react."
