In the ongoing ICC Men's Cricket World Cup 2023, India and South Africa have secured their spots in the semi-finals, while England, the defending champions, and Bangladesh have been eliminated from contention. However, six teams are still in the running to claim the remaining two semi-final berths. As we approach the final week of the league stage matches, here's what Australia, New Zealand, Pakistan, Afghanistan, Sri Lanka, and the Netherlands need to do to qualify for the semi-finals:
1. Australia: Currently sitting in third place with 10 points from seven matches, Australia can secure a semi-final spot by winning either of their next two matches, which are against Afghanistan on November 7 and Bangladesh on November 11.
2. New Zealand: With 8 points from eight matches, New Zealand currently hold the fourth position in the points table. To qualify, they must win their last match against Sri Lanka on November 9 and hope that Pakistan lose to England on November 11, and Afghanistan face defeats in their last two matches against Australia (November 7) and South Africa (November 10). In such a scenario, New Zealand will advance with 10 points compared to Pakistan and Afghanistan's eight.
3. Pakistan: Also with eight points from eight matches, Pakistan can secure a semi-final berth if Afghanistan lose to both Australia (November 7) and South Africa (November 10), and Sri Lanka defeat New Zealand on November 9.
4. Afghanistan: With 8 points from seven matches, Afghanistan can guarantee a place in the semi-finals by winning their next two matches against Australia and South Africa. If they lose one, they must hope for Sri Lanka to beat New Zealand on November 9 and England to defeat Pakistan on November 11. In this case as well, Afghanistan will progress.
5. Sri Lanka: Currently in seventh place with four points from seven matches, Sri Lanka can qualify by winning their next two matches. However, their qualification depends on Pakistan, New Zealand, Afghanistan, and the Netherlands losing their remaining matches by a significant margin. If all four of these teams end up with 8 points each, qualification will be determined by net run rate.
6. Netherlands: Occupying the eighth position with four points from seven matches, the Netherlands can secure a semi-final spot by winning their next two matches against England (November 8) and India (November 12). To qualify, they need Pakistan, New Zealand, and Afghanistan to lose all their remaining matches by a wide margin, in addition to Bangladesh defeating Sri Lanka on November 6. In this scenario, Pakistan, New Zealand, Afghanistan, and the Netherlands will each have 8 points, and the team with the better net run rate will progress