Pakistan, after its abysmal performance in the ongoing Cricket World Cup 2019, is almost at the brink of elimination. The team now needs, what’s familiar to us broken fans, X needs to beat Y and Z needs to beat A scenario to qualify. If nothing else, this team has helped improve Pakistan’s Maths and Stats.
Here are the scenarios that will see Pakistan qualify.
Here is the latest table (doesn’t include Australia vs Bangladesh as it is happening right now).
First things first, Pakistan has to win all their remaining matches against:
1) South Africa
2) New Zealand
3) Bangladesh
4) Afghanistan
Scenario 1:
While New Zealand’s victory over South Africa has made Pakistan’s route to the Knockout stages at the expense of them improbable, it is still quite possible.
- New Zealand lose to West Indies, Pakistan, Australia and India; they will stay on nine points and if Pakistan win their remaining matches, they will qualify over New Zealand. In this scenario, the Windies will have to lose at least one match against their remaining opponents – India, Sri-Lanka, Afghanistan.
- New Zealand win one of their remaining matches and lose the rest; they will be on 11 points and if Pakistan win their remaining matches, it will come down to the Net Run Rate (NRR). In this scenario, if they lose to the Windies, then the men in maroon will have to lose one of their remaining matches.
Scenario 2:
While Australia have defeated Pakistan, the men in green might have the last yaw (laugh). Again improbable but not impossible.
- Australia lose at least three or more of their remaining matches against Bangladesh (ongoing at the time of this post), England, New Zealand, South Africa. Pakistan has to win their remaining matches, and the yawning tigers will qualify over the Kangaroos. If the Aussies, lose to Bangladesh, then Bangladesh will need to lose at least one of their matches against Afghanistan, India and Pakistan; then it will come down to NRR between the two and if they lose more than one, Pakistan will directly qualify.
Scenario 3:
Pakistan’s solitary victory up to this point has been against England and that win could prove to be even more beneficial than they could have imagined.
- England lose at least three of their remaining fixtures against Sri-Lanka, Australia, India and New Zealand, Pakistan win their remaining fixtures; England will have another premature cup exit. If Sri-Lanka wins their match against England, they will have to lose at least one of their remaining matches.
Scenario 4:
Indians might have seen us yawning but they just might see us roar.
- If India loses at least three of their remaining matches against Afghanistan, West Indies, England, Bangladesh and Sri-Lanka and Pakistan win theirs, then it will come down to NRR. In this scenario, if India loses to either or all West Indies, Bangladesh and Sri Lanka, then these three countries will have to lose their other matches.
- If India lose at least four of their remaining matches, and Pakistan go on a hot streak, Pakistan will have the last laugh. In this scenario, if India loses to either (or all) West Indies, Bangladesh and Sri Lanka, then these three countries will have to lose their other matches.
Bonus Scenario:
If you have made it this far and still hold out hope that Pakistan still might qualify, this one is as Pakistani as it gets:
- Even if Pakistan lose to South Africa but South Africa beats Sri-Lanka and West Indies, Scenario 1 in New Zealand’s case is still possible but on NRR
