Can Pakistani cricket team qualify for World Cup semifinals?
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Pakistan has kept their hopes alive for a spot in the ICC Cricket World Cup 2023 semifinals by securing a 21-run victory over New Zealand under the DLS method at Bangalore's M. Chinnaswamy Stadium.
However, there are still obstacles to overcome, with the net run rate (NRR) being a crucial factor. Babar Azam's team has moved up to the fifth position and shares eight points with New Zealand. Nevertheless, New Zealand holds the fourth position due to a superior NRR.
Renowned statistician Mazher Arshad has outlined the scenarios for Pakistan to qualify for the knockout phase. To secure a spot, Pakistan needs to defeat England and rely on Sri Lanka defeating New Zealand.
Additionally, Afghanistan must lose to either Australia or South Africa, and Pakistan's NRR needs to stay low.
In another scenario, if New Zealand have the same run rate meaning they beat Sri Lanka in the last over or with a margin of 10 runs, then Pakistan needs to defeat England by more than 130 runs, provided that New Zealand beats Sri Lanka by a single run.
It's worth noting that the chances of Babar Azam's team reaching the knockout stage would improve if the Sri Lanka-New Zealand match gets washed out.
