As Australia beat Afghanistan by three wickets on Tuesday, the five-time champions qualified for the semifinals of the ongoing ODI World Cup 2023. Australia will join India and South Africa in the next stage. However, with this, a place for the fourth and final team in the next stage is still available. Teams like Pakistan, New Zealand, and Afghanistan are in contention for it.
In the next few days, they will fight for it and would like to make it to the semis. So, in today’s article, we will discuss all the possible scenarios for these teams to qualify as the fourth semifinalists. It’s worth noting that the team is likely to face hosts India in the semifinals on November 15 at Wankhede Stadium (except Pakistan).
However, before the final round of group games, New Zealand holds fourth place with the best net run rate (NRR) among the three sides still contending for knockouts. The Kiwis boast a +0.398 NRR, while Babar Azam and Co. lag with +0.036. Afghanistan possesses the worst NRR among all three, at -0.338. So, here is how they can join India in the semifinals:
Qualification scenarios for New Zealand:
In their final group game, New Zealand will confront Sri Lanka in a must-win encounter after suffering four consecutive losses. A victory against Sri Lanka would propel Kane Williamson’s team into a semifinal clash against India, provided Pakistan and Afghanistan do not secure wins in their respective games. With the best net run rate (NRR), the Blackcaps hold an additional advantage, and a significant triumph over Sri Lanka on November 9 could potentially complicate the prospects for the other two teams.
Qualification scenarios for Pakistan:
Having come close to elimination from the World Cup, Babar Azam’s team is now vying for a spot in the semifinals. Banking on New Zealand and Afghanistan to falter in their final group encounters, Pakistan needs to win their next game too. If New Zealand triumphs over Sri Lanka, Pakistan’s path to the next round would necessitate not only a victory against England on November 11 but also a significant margin to surpass the Black Caps in net run rate (NRR). To be certain, if New Zealand beats Sri Lanka by X runs, Pakistan will need to win their game by X+130 runs to qualify for the semis.
Qualification scenarios for Afghanistan:
Afghanistan faces a daunting task in their bid to secure a spot in the semifinals as they prepare to take on South Africa in their final group match. With the least favourable net run rate (NRR) among the three contending teams, a victory against the Proteas would not guarantee them a place in the semifinals. Only if both New Zealand and Pakistan falter in their final group encounters can Afghanistan advance. Should New Zealand and Pakistan emerge victorious, Afghanistan will need to defeat South Africa on November 10 by a considerable margin to surpass the other teams on the NRR.
