Former Indian cricketer Mohammad Kaif said that Pakistan has a chance to make the semi-finals of the 2023 World Cup, but a potential match against India in the final four could be a one-sided affair.
Pakistan's journey in the clash has been full of ups and downs. Despite a discouraging start with four consecutive losses, they managed to reverse their fortunes and keep their semi-final aspirations alive.
On October 31, Pakistan put an end to their four-match losing streak by securing a seven-wicket victory over Bangladesh at the Eden Gardens in Kolkata. This win not only provided a significant morale boost to the team but also eliminated Bangladesh from contention for the semi-finals.
Following this, Pakistan continued their winning streak by defeating New Zealand in a rain-affected match at the M Chinnaswamy Stadium in Bengaluru. They secured a 21-run victory via the Duckworth-Lewis Method. Fakhar Zaman played an unbeaten inning of 126, with valuable assistance from Babar Azam during their run chase.
Despite their initial struggles, Pakistan's best-case scenario for reaching the semi-finals would involve defeating England, hoping for Sri Lanka to overcome New Zealand, and Afghanistan losing their remaining two matches. If these conditions are met, Pakistan would qualify without the Net Run Rate (NRR) coming into play.
If Pakistan manage to secure a spot in the semi-finals, there is a possibility that they could face India in the upcoming match. Kaif discussed this on Star Sports, as reported by Sportskeeda, and expressed his belief that Pakistan have the potential to reach the final four.
However, the former batsman noted that a showdown with India might result in a lopsided outcome, citing the historical record of their World Cup clash. India maintain a perfect 8-0 record against Pakistan, with their latest victory being a seven-wicket triumph in the match on October 14 in Ahmedabad.
"They can reach but it will be a one-sided affair. I am opening the pages of history, what has happened. India defeated them easily. However, Pakistan have the chance. If they play a good match and defeat England, the net-run-rate issue will be there, so they can reach there with a big win," said Kaif.
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