- South Africa in Chennai.
- Bangladesh in Kolkata.
- New Zealand in Bengaluru.
- England in Kolkata.
India is almost guaranteed a spot in the semifinals. Apart from India, nothing is confirmed yet. All other positions are still up for grabs, but for Pakistan to have a chance, they must win all their remaining matches.
Pakistan always seems to follow this pattern for qualification! They face struggles, they face setbacks, and then somehow they manage to qualify! Luck always seems to come their way at the last moment! If Pakistan wins all their remaining matches and Australia loses any two of their remaining matches, Pakistan has a chance. However, if Australia loses only one match in the remaining fixtures, the decision will come down to the Net Run Rate (NRR).
And truth be told, it wasn’t all that difficult. Two more teams have experienced upsets! The No. 4 slot is still up for grabs! Out of the four remaining matches, three are against South Africa, New Zealand, and England. Pakistan needs to win at least two out of these three, and also secure a victory against Bangladesh, considering the Net Run Rate (NRR) in all matches. If there are two more defeats, it will dash all hopes. Currently, the chances are less than 10%.
If they manage to qualify with this level of fitness and fielding, it will make me question the importance of talent. In a way, it might be beneficial for Pakistan to lose from this point. It would prompt their management to acknowledge and address the weaknesses. In 50-over cricket, Pakistan still seems to be stuck in 2005, lagging behind by 18 years in terms of modern cricket. Our top talent doesn’t seem to measure up to even a C team from other countries.
