BENGALURU, India: Pakistan need to defeat both New Zealand and England to secure a berth in the knockout stage of the ICC Cricket World Cup-2023 while the margin of victory in the upcoming match against New Zealand could prove to be crucial.
New Zealand’s massive 190-run defeat against South Africa on Wednesday brought Pakistan back into contention for a semi-final berth at the World Cup. While India, Australia, and South Africa are almost through to the semis, New Zealand and Pakistan may battle it out for the fourth position.
An 84-run win in what promises to be a high-stakes match would propel Pakistan above New Zealand in the match at Bengaluru’s M Chinnaswamy Stadium on Saturday when both teams will look to fortify their position for the top four. With a spot in the semi-finals at stake, the match is crucial for both teams.
Looking at the points table as of Nov 2, South Africa, India, and Australia appear to have a relatively comfortable position in the race to the semi-finals. However, the real battle would be for the fourth spot, with Pakistan and New Zealand locked in fierce competition for Saturday.
Both Pakistan and New Zealand have two remaining matches in the tournament. Pakistan will play New Zealand on Saturday. The Men-in-Green will then face England in their last group stage match. Meanwhile, New Zealand’s last group match will be against Sri Lanka.
Points Table
The situation is quite clear as Pakistan needs to win both of their remaining matches to secure a place in the semi-finals. Conversely, New Zealand’s hopes for qualification to the semis will fade away if they lose both their remaining matches, leaving them with 8 points.
Luckily, Pakistan’s fate rests in their own hands. To secure a place in the knockout stage, they need to defeat both New Zealand and England. However, the margin of victory against New Zealand must not be less than 84 runs to put Pakistan above New Zealand on the points table. Simply, the upcoming matches will decide the fate of these two teams in the tournament.
