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Fakhar Zaman delivered a sensational 63-ball century as Pakistan defeated New Zealand by 21 runs (DLS) in a rain-hampered World Cup match in Bengaluru. Zaman’s unbeaten 126 off 71 balls powered Pakistan to 200-1 in 25.3 overs, following which rain forced no further play; Babar Azam’s men were comfortably ahead of the Kiwis after the two rain interruptions in a high-scoring game, and were declared winners. Earlier, New Zealand’s standout performer in the tournament, Rachin Ravindra (108), notched his third century, while Kane Williamson (95) narrowly missed out on a hundred during his comeback, helping his side post a formidable total of 401-6 after being asked to bat.
This was a must-win clash for Pakistan in their bid to stay alive for contention for the semi-finals of the tournament. With the win, Pakistan are now level on points with New Zealand and Afghanistan; however, the Kiwis stay ahead of Babar Azam’s side on Net Run Rate (NRR). While New Zealand’s NRR is +0.398, Pakistan finally a positive NRR as well, at +0.036 after the win on Saturday. Afghanistan are level on points with both sides but behind in the NRR calculation (-0.330); however, they have a game’s advantage, with two matches still remaining (vs Australia and South Africa).
As Pakistan prepare for their final match of the group stage against England, they will not only have to secure a win but also rely on other results to go their way. We take a look at all possible scenarios in which Pakistan can qualify for the semi-finals of the tournament:
Scenario 1 – Sri Lanka beat New Zealand, Pakistan beat England
When Pakistan face England on November 11, they will already have a clear understanding of the requirements to secure a spot in the World Cup semi-finals. Following their victory over New Zealand, Pakistan is now reliant on Sri Lanka to perform well against New Zealand in their final group match on November 9.
If Sri Lanka triumphs in that game and Pakistan defeats England in their last match, Pakistan will accumulate 10 points, surpassing New Zealand by two. To solidify their position, Pakistan would need either Australia or South Africa to defeat Afghanistan, preventing them from reaching 10 points. However, if Afghanistan wins both of their matches, Pakistan’s fate will depend on Net Run Rate.
Scenario 2 – New Zealand beat Sri Lanka, Pakistan beat England
This is a trickier scenario for Pakistan because New Zealand’s NRR is already higher. In such a case, Pakistan will hope the Kiwis’ margin of victory remains as small as it can be; if New Zealand win by only 1 run, Pakistan will need to beat England by a margin of 130 runs or more to secure a semi-final spot.
Again, Afghanistan will continue to remain a threat in this scenario and Pakistan would want Australia and South Africa to inflict defeats on Hashmatullah Shahidi’s men.
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