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In the ongoing ICC Men’s Cricket World Cup taking place in India, Pakistan are currently enduring a challenging campaign, and their aspirations of clinching the prestigious trophy seem to be hanging by a slender thread. The 1992 CWC champions have suffered three successive defeats, placing their prospects to reach the semi-final in jeopardy at the halfway mark of the tournament.
An ignominious loss against their arch-rivals India
Following a record-breaking victory over Sri Lanka, the Pakistan team, brimming with confidence, confronted India at the world’s largest cricket stadium, the Narendra Modi Stadium.
In the highly anticipated clash, Pakistan struggled to amass a meagre total of 191 runs. In response, India effortlessly chased down the target. Led by Rohit Sharma, the Indian side registered a convincing 7-wicket win with a substantial 117 balls to spare.
Babar Azam’s Pakistan side are yet to recover from the setback against India; subsequently, they lost to Australia by 62 runs and got defeated at the hands of Afghanistan by 8 wickets in their previous two matches.
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Semifinals Qualification scenarios for Pakistan
Despite enduring three consecutive defeats, Pakistan still retains a glimmer of hope for progressing to the semi-finals of the ODI World Cup 2023. However, this prospect is contingent on several factors, including their own performance in the remaining matches.
Requirement of winning the remaining matches
To secure a spot in the top 4, Pakistan must triumph in all of their remaining four matches. While this presents a significant challenge, given their reputation in the international cricket arena, it remains an achievable feat.
Dependence on other outcomes favouring Pakistan
In addition to their own victories, Pakistan’s qualification prospects rely on the outcomes of other matches. Various scenarios could potentially aid Pakistan in securing a spot in the semi-finals:
If Babar’s team breaks their three-match losing streak and emerges victorious in all their remaining games, the maximum of 12 points would suffice for their qualification into the semi-finals. However, if Pakistan happens to lose any one of their remaining matches, their fate will depend on how the league stage unfolds for the other nine competing teams.
Pakistan will also need to keep a close watch on their net run rate, a crucial factor in the final stages of the league phase. Currently, Pakistan’s NRR stands at -0.400, placing them below Sri Lanka (-0.205) and above Afghanistan (-0.969), despite all three teams having secured two wins in five matches thus far.
