How Pakistan Can Still Qualify For ICC Cricket World Cup Semifinal
Mathematically, Pakistan can still qualify for ICC World Cup semifinals in 2023, but it would require significant improvements in their Net Run Rate (NRR).
For Pakistan to have a chance of advancing, they not only need to secure a victory but must also significantly enhance their Net Run Rate (NRR) by defeating the defending champions by a substantial margin.
Top 4 teams in ICC Cricket World Cup Points Table qualify for World Cup semis. India, South Africa, and Australia have secured first three spots in ICC Cricket World Cup 2023 semifinals.
Chances of New Zealand (10 points and +0.743 NRR) qualifying for ODI World Cup 2023 semifinal are highest, compared to Pakistan (8 points and +0.036 NRR) and Afghanistan (8 points and -0.338 NRR).
Pakistan require to raise their Net Run Rate (NRR) to +0.75 to qualify for ODI World Cup 2023 semifinal and there are two mathematical pathways to accomplish this; Check below.
If Pakistan gets to bat first against England on Saturday, the Men in Green must beat England by 288 runs. If England bats first and Pakistan bowls first, Babar Azam-led side must chase down the target with 284 deliveries remaining.
The number of deliveries that Pakistan would need to spare depends on the number of runs England scores, but it is likely to be so high that achieving the necessary Net Run Rate (NRR) improvement is practically impossible.
Toss will play a crucial factor in Pak vs Eng ODI World Cup match. If Pakistan bowls first, it could become practically impossible for the 'men in green' to qualify for ODI World Cup semifinals due to the challenging NRR requirements.
Even if Pakistan gets to bat first, it seems almost impossible for a 'depleted and injury-hit' Pakistan to beat England by 288 runs.