With the 41 match of the ongoing ODI World Cup concluded yesterday, team New Zealand posted a breathtaking win against the Sri Lankans and with the significant win, the team finally earned a ticket to the semi-finals reducing Pakistan’s chance to make it further into the World Cup quite difficult. After having fielded first, the Kiwis restricted Sri Lanka to 171 and successfully chased the target in just 23.2 overs, and emerged victorious by 5 wickets.
Pakistan’s chance in the tournament
New Zealand’s win came hard on Babar Azam and Co. as Pakistan’s hope to make it to the semifinals now seems to be hanging with a thread and to be precise, is very unlikely. They were largely dependent on the Black Caps but as New Zealand has won the match, Pakistan’s chance to go ahead in the tournament is equal to impossible now. If Pakistan defeats England today by a staggering margin of 287 runs, then only it can qualify for the further rounds of the tournament.
Wasim Akram’s witty remarks
Former Pakistani cricketer Wasim Akram is essentially known for his witty and hilarious comments. Today, Wasim stated how the team can still qualify for the semi-finals. He hilariously asserted “Mathematically it is still possible. Pakistan should bat first against England and post runs, then lock the England team in the dressing room and get them timed out.” His remarks were also related to Angelo Mathews’ Infamous dismissal against Bangladesh in some sense.
Right now, the top 4 contenders are India, South Africa, New Zealand and Australia. Among them, India and New Zealand are likely to take on each other in the Semi-final round 1. It will be quite interesting to witness what will be the outcome of today’s match featuring Pakistan and England at the Eden Gardens in Kolkata.
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