Last Update on: November 9th, 2023 at 08:58 pm
The semi-final qualification scenario of the Pakistan National Cricket Team took a massive hit following the crushing victory of the New Zealand National Cricket Team over the Sri Lanka National Cricket Team on Thursday, November 9.
The Black Caps dominated and earned a good 5-wicket win over the Lankan Lions. Bowling first, they bundled out the Kusal Mendis & Co. for 171 and then completed the run-chase in 23.2 overs to seal the win and more or less the final semi-final spot.
The Men In Green are currently in the fifth position on the Points Table with 4 wins and 4 losses in 8 matches. They have a positive Net Run Rate of +0.036, but it isn’t enough for them to seal a place in the knockouts. Here’s the complete table:
| POS | TEAM | PLAYED | WON | LOST | N/R | TIED | NET RR | POINTS |
| 1 | India | 8 | 8 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2.456 | 16 |
| 2 | South Africa | 8 | 6 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 1.376 | 12 |
| 3 | Australia | 8 | 6 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0.861 | 12 |
| 4 | New Zealand | 9 | 5 | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0.743 | 10 |
| 5 | Pakistan | 8 | 4 | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0.036 | 8 |
| 6 | Afghanistan | 8 | 4 | 4 | 0 | 0 | -0.338 | 8 |
| 7 | England | 8 | 2 | 6 | 0 | 0 | -0.885 | 4 |
| 8 | Bangladesh | 8 | 2 | 6 | 0 | 0 | -1.142 | 4 |
| 9 | Sri Lanka | 9 | 2 | 7 | 0 | 0 | -1.419 | 4 |
| 10 | Netherlands | 8 | 2 | 6 | 0 | 0 | -1.635 | 4 |
Pakistan started off their tournament on high, thoroughly winning back-to-back matches. But after that, they went on a 4-match losing streak, which jeopardized their semi-final chances.
The Babar Azam & Co. will play their last group stage game against struggling England in the 44th match of the ICC Cricket World Cup 2023 at the Eden Gardens in Kolkata on November 11.
Can Pakistan Still Qualify For Semi-Finals?
If the Pakistan National Cricket Team want to set up a semi-final clash with the India National Cricket Team, they need the “qudrat ka nizam” to strike at full force.
Assuming they bat first and score 300, Pakistan would need to restrict England to 13 and win the match by 287 runs to move into the top four. If they score 350, they need to bowl out the Jos Buttler-led side for 63 and win by 287 runs.
Also, if somehow Pakistan post a mammoth total of 400 runs on the board, they need to bowl out the Three Lions for 112 runs and register a 288-run win to become the fourth team to qualify for semi-finals after India, South Africa, and Australia.
In case, the England National Cricket Team bat first in the match, they will be disqualified without a bowl being delivered as they need to complete the run-chase in 3 overs. Talking about Afghanistan’s chances, they need to win their last game by 438 runs to go past New Zealand’s net run rate.
The expected semi-finals line-up is India vs New Zealand at the iconic Wankhede Stadium in Mumbai and Australia vs South Africa at the iconic Eden Gardens in Kolkata.
