Pakistan suffered a heartbreaking World Cup 2023 elimination as they failed to chase the target in a limited over against England on Saturday, November 11. England forced Pakistan to chase a 338-run target in just 6.4 overs and as expected 1992 winners failed to deliver an impossible task at Kolkata's Eden Gardens.
Babar Azam-led side's hopes of securing semifinal qualification first shattered when they lost the toss and were forced to ball first by opponent skipper Jos Buttler. Pakistan had slim chances of making the knockouts while batting first but a toss favoured the Three Lions, who officially secured the ICC Champions Trophy 2025 qualification.
With Pakistan's elimination, New Zealand officially secured the fourth place in the points table. The Kiwis will be facing tournament host and the in-form India in the first semi-final match in Mumbai on November 15 while the five-time champions Australia take on South Africa in the second semifinal clash in Kolkata on November 16.
Meanwhile, Netherlands are facing top-of-the-table side India in the last group-stage match of the tournament tomorrow. A big win might help the Dutch side secure a berth in the ICC Champions Trophy 2025 with Sri Lanka out of contention.
England Playing XI: Jonny Bairstow, Dawid Malan, Joe Root, Ben Stokes, Harry Brook, Jos Buttler (c & wk), Moeen Ali, Chris Woakes, David Willey, Gus Atkinson, Adil Rashid
Pakistan Playing XI: Abdullah Shafique, Fakhar Zaman, Babar Azam (c), Mohammad Rizwan (wk), Saud Shakeel, Iftikhar Ahmed, Agha Salman, Shadab Khan, Shaheen Afridi, Mohammad Wasim Jr, Haris Rauf
More to follow...
