How Pakistan can qualify for World Cup 2023 semi-finals

Babar Azam's men currently find themselves in a precarious situation

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Published: Thu 26 Oct 2023, 11:00 AM

Last updated: Sat 28 Oct 2023, 1:46 PM

[Editor's Note: This article was first published on October 26, before Pakistan lost to South Africa on Friday night. Can the team still make it to knockout stage after the defeat? Here are the different scenarios.]

Pakistan's winless streak has throttled the progress of Men in Green at the ongoing World Cup. Pakistan currently find themselves at the sixth spot in the World Cup standings.

They first saw a seven-wicket defeat at the hands of arch-rivals India on October 14. Pakistan then lost to five-time champions Australia. Then, the Babar Azam-led team conceded a shocking defeat to Afghanistan.

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The recent winless run may not have resulted in Pakistan's early World Cup exit, but Babar Azam's men currently find themselves in a precarious situation. At this stage, Pakistan cannot afford to concede a single defeat; another loss will shatter their chances of qualifying for the semi-finals.

Let us look at Pakistan's chances of reaching the knockout stage.

Scenario 1: Pakistan win all four matches

The Pakistan cricket team is scheduled to line up against South Africa next, followed by Bangladesh, New Zealand and England. Winning their last four remaining matches will be the best possible outcome for Pakistan. Four more wins will take their points tally to 12. But sadly, it will still not be enough to book a berth in the semis. Even after winning the remaining four games, Pakistan will need a favour from the Aussies. They will desperately want Australia to lose one or two matches, at least. If the Kangaroos win all their remaining games, they will reach the next stage ahead of Pakistan.

Scenario 2: Pakistan win three matches

Three wins in the next four matches will complicate Pakistan's qualification, but it will certainly not end their World Cup 2023 campaign. In this case, Pakistan will want Australia to concede at least two defeats, and if it does happen, the Net Run Rate (NRR) will be the deciding factor in determining the semi-finalists.

Scenario 3: Pakistan win two of their last four matches

It is doubtful that Pakistan will be able to reach the semi-finals, having won just two matches out of their remaining four fixtures. There still is a chance for a team to qualify for the semi-final, having earned four wins. But for that to happen, Pakistan will have to depend on multiple other results to go in their favour.

Scenario 4: Pakistan win one of their four matches/ Pakistan do not win at all

Both these scenarios will mean only one outcome for Pakistan, and that is- a World Cup exit.

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