In an ODI World Cup that has spanned 48 years, Australia’s entry into the semifinals was largely thanks to an outstanding double century from Glenn Maxwell, which is being considered one of the greatest knocks in the tournament’s history.
Becoming the third team, following India and South Africa, to secure a spot in the semifinals, fans are eagerly anticipating the South Africa vs. Australia semifinal clash. As for India’s semifinal opponent, that remains uncertain.
The last available semifinal spot is up for grabs, and three teams – New Zealand, Pakistan, and Afghanistan – are competing for it. Following their narrow 3-wicket victory over Afghanistan at the Wankhede Stadium, Australia reached 12 points and is now set to face South Africa in the semifinals, pending the outcome of their final group match.
Meanwhile, New Zealand, Pakistan, and Afghanistan are all tied with 8 points each as they head into their respective final group stage games. Before the last round of group matches, New Zealand holds the fourth position, primarily due to their superior Net Run Rate (NRR) of +0.398, while Pakistan has a slightly lower NRR at +0.036, and Afghanistan has the least favorable NRR among the three, standing at -0.338.
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Semifinal qualification scenarios for the ICC ODI World Cup 2023 are as follows:
India:
India has already secured a spot in the semifinals.
South Africa:
South Africa has also guaranteed their place in the semifinals.
Australia:
Australia has already qualified for the semifinals.
New Zealand:
New Zealand will face Sri Lanka in their final group game, a must-win match after suffering four consecutive losses. If New Zealand beats Sri Lanka and both Pakistan and Afghanistan fail to win their games, they will meet India in the semifinals. With the best NRR, New Zealand has an added advantage, and a convincing victory over Sri Lanka on November 9 could complicate matters for the other two teams.
Pakistan:
Despite nearly facing elimination from the World Cup, Pakistan now has a shot at the semifinals. They are reliant on New Zealand and Afghanistan dropping points in their final group games. If New Zealand beats Sri Lanka, Pakistan not only needs to defeat England on November 11 but must do so by a substantial margin to surpass New Zealand on NRR.
Afghanistan:
Afghanistan faces the toughest challenge in reaching the semifinals, as they will take on South Africa in their final group game. With the least favorable NRR among the three contending teams, even a win against South Africa might not be sufficient to secure a spot in the semifinals. Afghanistan can only qualify if both New Zealand and Pakistan lose their final group games, and if both the Kiwis and Pakistan win, Afghanistan would need to beat South Africa by a significant margin to surpass the other two teams on NRR.
Teams like Bangladesh, Sri Lanka, Netherlands, and England have been ruled out of semifinal contention.