Cricket World Cup 2023: Semi-final Qualification Scenarios For Pakistan, Afghanistan, Australia, New Zealand For Remaining Two Spots | All You Need To Know

The ICC Men's Cricket World Cup 2023 has entered its last week, with India and South Africa already securing their spots in the semi-finals. While India's unbeaten run continues, the competition for the remaining two semi-final berths is intense.

With Bangladesh and England out of contention, Sri Lanka and the Netherlands are hanging on by a thread. The final week of the group stage promises thrilling action for spectators and fans alike.

 

Qualification Scenarios For Teams Favourites To Make It To Semi-finals:

 

New Zealand:

- New Zealand, with 4 wins and 4 losses, holds a net run rate of +0.398.

- Their last group match is against Sri Lanka on 9th November.

Path to qualification:

New Zealand's pathway to the semi-finals involves winning their last match and ensuring their net run rate surpasses that of at least two of the other three teams (Pakistan, Australia, and Afghanistan) with either 10 points or the potential to reach 10 points.

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If New Zealand loses their final match, they must hope that both Pakistan and Afghanistan lose all their remaining matches, ensuring that their net run rate surpasses both of them.

 

Australia:

- Australia has secured 5 wins and 2 losses with a net run rate of +0.924.

- They face Afghanistan on 7th November and Bangladesh on 11th November.

Path to qualification:

Australia's path to the semi-finals involves winning at least one of their two remaining matches, accumulating 12 points and guaranteeing qualification. If Australia loses both matches, they still have a chance, but then they must rely on their net run rate remaining superior to that of at least two of the three teams among Pakistan, Afghanistan, and New Zealand.

 

Pakistan:

- Pakistan has 4 wins and 4 losses, along with a net run rate of +0.036.

- Their remaining match is against England on 11th November.

Path to qualification:

To secure a semi-final spot, Pakistan must win their remaining match and maintain a superior net run rate compared to other teams potentially finishing with 10 points.

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Alternatively, if they lose their last match, they must hope that Afghanistan loses their last two matches and that New Zealand loses their final match by a significant margin, allowing Pakistan to finish above them based on net run rate.

 

Afghanistan:

- Afghanistan has 4 wins and 3 losses, with a net run rate of -0.718.

- They will face Australia on 7th November and South Africa on 10th November.

Path to qualification:

Afghanistan's journey to the semi-finals involves winning at least one and ideally both of their remaining matches to accumulate as many as 12 points. If they win both remaining matches, they secure a spot in the semi-finals.

If they lose one or both matches, they need to rely on their net run rate surpassing that of teams like New Zealand, Australia, and Pakistan if they finish with the same number of points.