Zimbabwe defeated Pakistan by one run in a last-ball thriller to claim their first T20 World Cup Super-12 victory. Pakistan, who were defeated by archrivals India in their first match, are now out of the tournament after failing to reach a modest target of 131 against Zimbabwe at Perth Stadium. With Zimbabwe’s victory, Pakistan’s chances of qualifying for the Semifinals in Group 2 have become more interesting.
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- First and foremost, Pakistan must win all three of its remaining matches.
- Second, in order to maintain a healthy net run rate, the men in green must win all three matches by a large margin.
- Third, they must hope that other results go their ways, such as South Africa’s defeats by India and Pakistan.
- Zimbabwe has lost two of their remaining three matches (versus India, Netherlands, and Bangladesh)
- They must also hope that Bangladesh loses another game.
Can Pakistan Still Qualify for Semifinals of T20 WC 2022
Pakistan was defeated by Zimbabwe in their second Group 2 match of the Super 12 stage of the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2022 in Perth on Thursday (October 27). The Babar Azam-led team, which reached the T20 World Cup semifinals last year, fell short by one run. Pakistan’s loss to Zimbabwe was their second in a row in this year’s tournament. As a result, their chances of reaching the semifinals are now seriously jeopardized.
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To advance to the semifinals, they must first win all three of their remaining matches against the Netherlands (October 30), South Africa (November 3), and Bangladesh (November 6) by a large margin while also relying on the results of the other teams in the group.
There are many ifs and buts in this, but there is a very slim chance, that the Men in Green will need more luck than the fight they will put up on the field.
Pakistani Team depending on their Opening Pair
Pakistan will rely heavily on their openers – Babar and Mohammad Rizwan – to deliver in a must-win match, while their failure in the high-octane match against India turned out to be a blessing in disguise as their middle-order chipped in on the big stage.
Pakistani Pacers Will Play Important Role in Rest of Matches
Their pace attack has been crucial for them since the Asia Cup this year, and their ace pacer Shaheen Shah Afridi’s underwhelming return may be a source of concern. Shaheen Shah Afridi & Naseem Shah are the Key bowlers for Pakistan in the opening Spell by picking up early wickets in their First Overs. Harris Rauf is been Outstanding with his bowling at the Depth Overs. Waseem Jr. Help the Pakistani team as a 4th pacer in their squad as a complete All-round. Shadab & Nawaz has been the most dangerous Spin bowling attack from the Pakistani team.
Weather Concern a lot in Australia in T20 World Cup
The weather has been a concern for most of the teams competing in the World Cup, but the weather forecast predicts only a 5% chance of rain here today.
Well Pakistani Team should keep an eye on these factors
- To stay in the hunt, Pakistan must win all three of their remaining matches against the Netherlands, South Africa, and Bangladesh by a large margin.
- In addition to their positive results, they would require at least three other teams in the group to lose up to two games.
- South Africa is their main rival in the group, and for Pakistan to advance, India must favor them and defeat the Proteas. If India defeats South Africa on Sunday (October 30) and Pakistan defeats them in addition to winning their other two matches, they will advance at the expense of South Africa, because the Proteas will only have as many as five points in comparison.
- Aside from the Proteas, Zimbabwe has a chance to progress. Bangladesh, the Netherlands, and India are their next three opponents. If Zimbabwe loses two of them, Pakistan will have six points.
- Bangladesh is also in the hunt, but they must face Zimbabwe, India, and Pakistan in their final three matches, and if the Bangladesh Tigers lose to India and Pakistan but win against Zimbabwe, Pakistan will have an advantage.
- The Netherlands and Pakistan have similar points and, like Pakistan, can advance, but their next game is against Pakistan, and the team that loses this tie will be eliminated from the competition.
Pakistan is in a difficult situation, and its fate is not entirely in its hands, but they still have a chance, and it will be interesting to see if it can advance.