ODI World Cup 2023 semifinal qualification scenario for all teams: The race to the semi-finals of the ICC Men’s Cricket World Cup 2023 is heating up, with nine teams still vying for a spot in the last four of the tournament. Taking a look at the current points table, India and South Africa appear to be the most likely candidates to secure semi-final berths. However, both of these teams cannot afford to be complacent. Here's a breakdown of how each of the ten teams can qualify for the semi-finals:
1. South Africa:
South Africa, with 12 points, simply need to win one out of their two remaining matches to guarantee a semi-final spot with 14 points. If they win one of the remaining two matches, they'll need a better NRR than India, New Zealand, Australia, and Afghanistan, all of whom could reach 12 points. If they lose both remaining matches, they should aim for a better NRR than all teams that can finish with 12 points.
2. India:
For India, it's quite straightforward. They currently have 12 points, and all they need to do is win at least one of their three remaining matches to secure a spot in the semi-finals. In the worst-case scenario, if they lose all three matches, they must ensure that their Net Run Rate (NRR) is superior to that of South Africa, New Zealand, Australia, and Afghanistan, all of whom could also reach 12 points.
3. Australia:
Australia need to win all three of their remaining games to accumulate 14 points and secure a semi-final spot. If they win only two out of three, they must finish with a better NRR than India, South Africa, New Zealand, and Afghanistan, who can also reach 12 points.
4. New Zealand:
The Black Caps need to win both of their remaining matches and have a better NRR than at least one of the four other teams (India, South Africa, Australia, Afghanistan) that could reach 12 points. Alternatively, they can win one of their remaining two matches and finish with a superior NRR to other teams that might also finish with 10 points.
5. Pakistan:
For Pakistan, winning both of their remaining matches are crucial for a semi-final berth. They also need a superior NRR compared to other teams that could finish with 10 points. If they win just one of their remaining two matches, they'll need New Zealand and/or Australia to lose all three of their remaining matches, while Afghanistan loses at least two of their three matches, and they must finish with a better NRR than other teams that could also end with 8 points.
6. Afghanistan:
Afghanistan must win all three of their remaining matches to reach 12 points and also improve their NRR to surpass New Zealand, Australia, or any other team with the same number of points.
7. Sri Lanka:
Sri Lanka's path to the semi-finals involves winning all three remaining matches and finishing with 12 points. However, they must do it with a better NRR than New Zealand, Australia, or any other team with the same points. They'll also hope that New Zealand and Australia lose at least two of their three remaining games.
8. Netherlands:
Netherlands also need to win all three of their remaining matches to reach 10 points. They must aim for a better NRR than New Zealand, Australia, or any other team with the same point total. They'll also hope that New Zealand and Australia lose at least two of their three matches.
9. Bangladesh:
To their dismay, Bangladesh have been eliminated from contention and cannot qualify for the next stage.
10. England:
England's path to the semi-finals involves winning all remaining matches and finishing with a better NRR than New Zealand, Australia, or any other team with 8 points. To achieve this, they hope that New Zealand and Australia lose all three of their remaining matches, and no more than one of Pakistan, Afghanistan, Sri Lanka, and Netherlands finish with 10 points.