The round-robin group stage of the ongoing ICC World Cup 2023 is at its business end.
Hosts India have already sealed top spot in the ICC World Cup 2023 standings after thrashing South Africa by 243 runs in match 37 of the tournament at the iconic Eden Gardens in Kolkata.
Having registered eight consecutive victories in the marquee 50-over tournament, India are placed on top of the standings with 16 points from eight matches.
The two-time ODI World Cup champions will face Netherlands in their final league game at the M.Chinnaswamy Stadium in Bengaluru on November 12.
Along with India, South Africa have already qualified for the ICC World Cup 2023 semi-finals.
With six wins and two losses, South Africa are currently placed second in the ICC World Cup 2023 standings with 12 points from eight games.
The Proteas will square off against Afghanistan in their final league game and are likely to finish either in second or third position in the points table.
The likes of Pakistan, Australia, New Zealand and Afghanistan are the remaining teams still in contention for the last two ICC World Cup 2023 semi-finals slots.
The Pat Cummins-led Australia team are well placed to bag the third semi-final spot in the ongoing ICC World Cup 2023.
Having secured five victories and two defeats, Australia are currently placed third in the standings with 10 points from seven matches.
The five-time champions are scheduled to clash with Afghanistan and Bangladesh in their remaining two matches. A win will guarantee Australia a top three finish in the league stage.
The fourth and final semi-final spot will be contested by Pakistan, New Zealand and Afghanistan. While the Netherlands are mathematically in contention for the semi-finals, they are almost knocked out due to their terrible NRR.
Defending champions England, Sri Lanka and Bangladesh have already been eliminated from the tournament.
Meanwhile, the fourth-placed team will face India in the ICC World Cup 2023 semi-finals.
As a result, there is a possibility of a India vs Pakistan ICC World Cup 2023 semi-final to be played at the Eden Gardens. Here, we assess how Pakistan can qualify for the ICC World Cup 2023 semi-finals.
How Pakistan can qualify for the ICC World Cup 2023 semi-finals
With impressive wins over Bangladesh and New Zealand in their last two league matches, Pakistan have bounced back to remain in contention for an ICC World Cup 2023 semi-final berth.
Pakistan can qualify for the ICC World Cup 2023 semi-finals if they beat England at the Eden Gardens on November 11 and other results go their way.
Apart from winning against England, Pakistan need New Zealand to lose to Sri Lanka in their final league game at the M.Chinnaswamy Stadium.
Furthermore, Pakistan need Afghanistan to lose both their remaining league matches against Australia and South Africa.
In this case, Pakistan will qualify for the ICC World Cup 2023 semi-finals without NRR coming into play.
If Afghanistan win one of their remaining matches, both Pakistan and Afghanistan will have 10 points, and the net run-rate will determine the semi-finalist.
On other hand, if Afghanistan manage to win both their matches, they will qualify for the semi-finals while Pakistan will be knocked out of the tournament.
Meanwhile, if New Zealand beat Sri Lanka even by a small margin, Pakistan will need to win their last game handsomely to overtake them on NRR.
Pakistan can also qualify for the ICC World Cup 2023 semi-finals if New Zealand’s last game is abandoned due to rain and they manage to defeat England in their final league game.
If rain washes out both Pakistan and New Zealand’s final games, the Kiwis will qualify due to a better net run-rate.
Photo Credit: Alamy
