Can Pakistan Qualify For World Cup 2023 Semi-final After Loss Against Afghanistan? | Explained

Pakistan suffered their biggest defeat in the ongoing World Cup 2023 as Afghanistan thumped them by eight wickets at MA Chidambaram Stadium in Chennai on Monday. It was Babar Azam-led sides' third consecutive defeat in the tournament which has affected their chances to finish in the top four.

Pakistan started their campaign with two comfortable wins over Netherlands and Sri Lanka respectively. Men in Green suffered their first win defeat in the tournament against arch-rivals India at Narendra Modi Stadium in Ahmedabad followed by defeat against Australia in Bengaluru.

In five matches, Pakistan have four points and are placed at fifth spot in the points table. With four matches in their hand, Pakistan have to win each of their encounters and rely on a lot of permutations & combinations to secure a semi-final spot.

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Pakistan's chances for ICC World Cup 2023 semifinal:

India and New Zealand are the front-runners to fill the first two semi-final spots as they are placed first and second respectively in the standings. With the unbeaten record, India have 10 points in five matches while New Zealand have eight in five clashes after losing against Rohit Sharma-led side in their last match.

The battle for the third and fourth spot is more than open for the other eight teams in the showpiece event. Currently, South Africa hold third spot with three wins in five encounters while Australia sit at fourth place with four points.

Bangladesh, Netherlands, Sri Lanka and defending champions England are placed at the bottom of the table with two points in four games.

ALSO READ: ICC World Cup 2023 Points Table 

For Pakistan to secure a spot in the semi-finals, they face a challenging task. They must emerge victorious in their remaining four games, accumulating a total of 12 points. However, simply winning these matches may not be adequate. Pakistan need to win these games with significant margins to enhance their net run rate.

Pakistan are set to face difficult teams including South Africa on October 27, Bangladesh on October 31, New Zealand on November 4 and England on November 11.

It is likely that a team will need to secure six victories, totaling 12 points, to guarantee a place in the semi-finals unless inclement weather disrupts the tournament.