In a breathtaking display of cricketing prowess, Australia's national team secured a crucial victory over Afghanistan in the ICC Cricket World Cup, thanks to a magnificent performance by Glenn Maxwell.
With Australia now joining India and South Africa in the knockout stage, the race for the last remaining spot in the semifinals has become highly contested.
Pakistan, New Zealand, and Afghanistan find themselves locked in a fierce battle to claim that elusive spot.
The current points table shows Afghanistan, Pakistan, and New Zealand all with 10 points, with each team having one group stage match remaining.
However, Afghanistan's net run rate (NRR) is in the negative, meaning they would need a substantial win against South Africa to even be in contention for the semifinals. Pakistan's primary competition for the last semifinal spot is New Zealand.
As of now, New Zealand holds the fifth position on the points table with an NRR of 0.398, while Pakistan is ranked sixth with an NRR of 0.036.
Qualification scenario remains nail-biting and intense
- If New Zealand beats Sri Lanka by 50 runs, Pakistan will need to defeat England by 180 runs.
- If New Zealand beats Sri Lanka by just one run, Pakistan will have to secure a 131-run victory against England.
- In the event of Sri Lanka defeating New Zealand, Pakistan would simply need to win their match against England to qualify.
- If the match between Sri Lanka and New Zealand is washed out due to rain, Pakistan's path to qualification will be determined by a victory over England.
The stakes are undeniably high as the cricketing world watches with bated breath to see which of these three teams - Pakistan, New Zealand, or Afghanistan - will secure the last coveted spot in the Cricket World Cup semifinals.
