Pakistan’s Path To ICC World Cup 2023 Semi-Finals: All You Need to Know

In an unexpected turn of events, Pakistan has managed to revive its hopes of securing a spot in the 2023 ICC World Cup semi-finals, despite facing three consecutive defeats earlier in the tournament. Their remarkable comeback came in the form of a hard-fought win over New Zealand, aided by the DLS method.

Facing an imposing target of 402 runs at Bengaluru’s M Chinnaswamy Stadium, the odds were stacked against Babar Azam’s team.

However, they delivered an exceptional performance when it mattered most, led by Fakhar Zaman’s unbeaten 126 off 81 balls. The rain halted play with Pakistan’s score at 200/1 in 25.3 overs, resulting in a 21-run victory via the DLS method.

Now, let’s dissect Pakistan’s path to the semi-finals:

Current Standings:

Pakistan currently finds itself in the fifth position on the points table, having secured eight points from eight matches. Their net run rate (NRR) received a significant boost and stands at +0.036.

Among the other contenders for the remaining semi-final berths are Australia (with 10 points in 7 matches), New Zealand (with 8 points in 8 matches), and Afghanistan (with 8 points in 7 matches).

Scenario 1: Pakistan Wins Their Last Match

If Pakistan manages to secure a victory against England in their final match, they would conclude the league phase with ten points. However, their semi-final hopes would still depend on other factors:

Condition 1 (New Zealand):

Ideally, Pakistan would hope for New Zealand to lose their last match against Sri Lanka.

If New Zealand wins, Pakistan will need to secure a victory against England by a substantial margin to address the NRR deficit.

Condition 2 (Australia + Afghanistan): Alternatively, Pakistan will require Australia to lose both of their remaining matches (against Afghanistan and Bangladesh) by significant margins.

They could also hope for Afghanistan to lose one of their last two matches (against Australia and South Africa).

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Scenario 2: Pakistan Loses Their Last Match

Even if Pakistan faces defeat in their last match against England, they might still secure a semi-final spot with eight points. However, this would necessitate a series of favorable outcomes:

Condition 1 (New Zealand): New Zealand would need to suffer a heavy defeat to Sri Lanka.

Condition 2 (Afghanistan): Additionally, Pakistan would hope for Afghanistan to lose both of their remaining matches.

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