What are the chances of Pakistan qualifying for semifinal of ODI World Cup 2023?

Pakistan lost to Afghanistan in the ODI World Cup 2023 by 8 wickets. Under tough conditions to play, the spirited Afghan side overcame Pakistan for the first time in a big tournament. In the process, Afghanistan registered its second win of the tournament. Afghanistan has beaten two giant sides England and Pakistan in the tournament. On the other hand, Pakistan’s chances of qualifying for the semis are increasingly getting tougher.

In their first two matches, Pakistan beat the Netherlands and Sri Lanka. In both those matches, Pakistan was taken to their limits. Against the Dutch side, Pakistan found themselves at 38/3 at one stage. Against Sri Lanka, Pakistan ended up conceding 344 runs with the ball. After the first two matches, Pakistan lost all three matches in the tournament. Two of those losses came against strong teams.

In the third match, India beat Pakistan comfortably by 7 wickets. In the fourth match, Australia overcame Pakistan by 62 runs. But the biggest shock came for Pakistan after losing to Afghanistan. It now makes Pakistan’s campaign miserable. They are now in a must-win situation in almost every match, considering their negative run rate and the quality of their opponents.

Big challenge for Pakistan in the second half of the tournament

In 5 matches in the tournament, Pakistan has two wins and three losses. Pakistan is yet to face four teams in the tournament. They have their matches against South Africa, Bangladesh, New Zealand, and England. Against South Africa and Bangladesh, Pakistan has its matches on the 27th and the 31st of October. These two matches will be a big one for Pakistan in the context of the tournament.

Bangladesh is the best opponent against which Pakistan has the chance of claiming a victory. Against a team like South Africa, it will take the best performance from Pakistan. On the 4th and the 11th of November respectively, Pakistan will have to face big teams like New Zealand and England respectively. The challenge is huge. Pakistan has to face some of the best teams in the world to qualify for the semifinal.