The qualification scenario for Pakistan’s cricket team to reach the semi-finals of the World Cup has become more complex following South Africa’s victory over New Zealand. The South African team’s win has provided a slight boost to Pakistan’s chances, but the path to the semi-finals remains fraught with challenges for Babar Azam and his team.
For Pakistan to qualify, they must win their remaining matches. Ideally, they should defeat New Zealand in their next game and hope that the Black Caps also lose to Sri Lanka. If this happens, New Zealand would finish the group stage with eight points, allowing Pakistan to advance to the knockout stage with ten points, provided they win their next two games.
The ideal results for Pakistan’s qualification are as follows: India beats Sri Lanka, Afghanistan beats Netherlands, Pakistan beats New Zealand, Australia beats England, India beats South Africa, Sri Lanka beats Bangladesh, Australia beats Afghanistan, England beats the Netherlands, Sri Lanka beats New Zealand, South Africa beats Afghanistan, Australia beats Bangladesh, Pakistan beats England, and India beats the Netherlands.
If these results occur, India would top the group with 18 points, followed by South Africa and Australia both with 14 points. Pakistan, with 10 points, would secure the fourth spot and qualify for the knockout stage.
Pakistan’s remaining World Cup 2023 matches are against New Zealand on November 4th in Bengaluru and England on November 11th in Kolkata. The day matches will start at 10:00 am Pakistan Standard Time (PST), while all other matches will be day-night fixtures starting at 01:30 pm (PST).
Should Pakistan qualify for the semi-finals, they will play in Kolkata. However, if India also qualifies for the semi-finals, they will play in Mumbai unless they are playing against Pakistan, in which case the match will take place in Kolkata.
