Pakistan’s thrilling victory over Bangladesh on Sunday has boosted their chances of qualifying for the semi-finals of the 2023 World Cup. The win lifted them to seventh place in the points table with six points, and they now have a realistic chance of making it to the last four if they can win their remaining three matches.
However, Pakistan’s fate is not entirely in their own hands. They will need to rely on other teams to lose matches as well in order to qualify.
Here is a look at the different scenarios that could play out:
Scenario 1: Pakistan wins all three of their remaining matches and New Zealand or Australia loses two or more matches. In this scenario, Pakistan would finish with 10 points, which would be enough to guarantee them a place in the semi-finals.
Scenario 2: Pakistan win all three of their remaining matches and Sri Lanka lose at least one match. In this scenario, Pakistan would also finish with 10 points, but they would need to have a better net run rate than Sri Lanka to qualify.
Scenario 3: Pakistan win two of their remaining matches and Afghanistan lose at least two matches. In this scenario, Pakistan would finish with eight points, which would be enough to qualify if Afghanistan only win one match. However, if Afghanistan win two matches, then only one of Afghanistan and Pakistan would qualify.
Scenario 4: Pakistan win all three of their remaining matches and Afghanistan win two matches. In this scenario, Pakistan would need to have a better net run rate than Afghanistan to qualify.
Scenario 5: Pakistan win two of their remaining matches and Afghanistan wins all three matches. In this scenario, Pakistan would be eliminated.
Pakistan’s chances of qualifying for the semi-finals are good. But they will need to win all of their remaining matches and rely on other teams to lose matches as well. However, if they can play to their potential, they have a good chance of making it to the last four.
In addition to the above scenarios, Pakistan can also improve their chances of qualification by increasing their net run rate. They can do this by winning their matches by big margins. And bowling out the opposition for as low a score as possible.
Pakistan’s next match is against South Africa on November 3. If they can win that match, they will be in a very strong position to qualify for the semi-finals. However, they will need to remain focused and avoid any complacency.