NEW DELHI: In a high-stakes clash, Pakistan face a near-impossible task of making it to the World Cup semifinals, needing a miraculous win with an unthinkable margin against a charged-up England. New Zealand's victory over Sri Lanka has virtually shattered Pakistan's semifinal hopes, requiring them to beat England by an improbable margin to have a chance.
New Zealand's superior net run-rate (+0.743) compared to Pakistan's (+0.036) means that for Babar Azam's side to qualify as the fourth team, they have to win by approximately 287 runs if batting first. If chasing, Pakistan needs to win with 284 balls to spare, a practically challenging task.
1/7:England and Pakistan to play for pride
<p>Defending champion England and unpredictable Pakistan started among the favourites to reach the ICC ODI World Cup semifinals, but the teams meet on Saturday to play for pride above anything else. England will be hoping to sign off from a forgettable title defence with three wins from nine games after starting with a thumping nine-wicket loss to New Zealand in a rematch of the 2019 final. England's run in India also included a streak of five consecutive losses. (Getty Images)<br /></p>
2/7:Similar position for Pakistan
<p>And Pakistan need a near impossible 287-run win over England in Kolkata to replace New Zealand in the No. 4 semifinal spot on net run-rate. Pakistan, which have played just one World Cup semi-final — in 2011 — since losing the final to Australia in 1999, were in somewhat of a similar position in the 2019 World Cup. It needed to beat Bangladesh by more than 300 runs in the last league game to knock the Black Caps out of the semifinals, but couldn't achieve the outcome. (PTI Photo)<br /></p>
3/7:England aiming for Champions Trophy slot
<p>England are aiming for back-to-back wins after a 160-run victory over last-place Netherlands at Pune. Buttler's team was lurching in last place with a solitary win against Bangladesh before Ben Stokes produced a fighting century against the Dutch and kept England's hopes of 2025 Champions Trophy qualification alive. Buttler has endured an abject tournament, scoring only 111 runs in eight games. (Reuters Photo)<br /></p>
4/7:Dawid Malan, the only Englishman among top scorers
<p>Dawid Malan is the only Englishman among the top 10 scorers at the World Cup, but his 373 runs in eight games are 192 runs behind New Zealand's Rachin Ravindra, an unexpected star of the tournament, who tops the batting chart with 565 runs. The rest of the batters — Joe Root, Jonny Bairstow and Harry Brook — have struggled and that didn't help the cause in an upset loss to Afghanistan and an eight-wicket defeat to Sri Lanka. The embattled batting lineup saved its worst for South Africa when chasing 400, capitulating for just 170 in a heavy 229-run loss. (AFP Photo)<br /></p>
5/7:Eoin Morgan questions Jos Buttler's captaincy in India
<p>England bowlers also haven't made an impression on quality batting oppositions like South Africa, New Zealand and Australia. Eoin Morgan, who led England to that memorable title in 2019 after the final was awarded on a countback of boundaries, has been a vocal critic of the team's performance and Buttler's captaincy in India. England need to finish in the top eight to qualify for the 2025 Champions Trophy. (Reuters Photo)<br /></p>
6/7:Fakhar Zaman ignites spark in Pakistan's lineup
<p>For Pakistan, two heartbreaking outcomes at Chennai's Chidambaram Stadium have it in an almost impossible position to go past New Zealand's healthy net run-rate of 0.743. First Afghanistan put up a slick all-round performance, both with the ball and bat, to outclass Pakistan by eight wickets. Then South Africa snatched a one-wicket victory. But the return of fit-again Fakhar Zaman ignited spark in Pakistan's lineup as the left-hander scored 81 against Bangladesh in a seven-wicket win. Zaman then hit 126 off 81 balls to earn Pakistan a 21-run victory against New Zealand on DLS Method in a rain-shortened game. (IANS Photo)<br /></p>
7/7:Pakistan's bowling has been below par in the tournament
<p>Like England, Pakistan's bowling has been below par. The shoulder injury to Naseem Shah just before the World Cup disturbed Pakistan's pace combination, with Shaheen Afridi and Haris Rauf leaking plenty of runs against Sri Lanka, Australia and New Zealand. The spinners – Shadab Khan, Mohammad Nawaz and Usama Mir – weren't effective enough to take pressure off Pakistan's batting. (PTI Photo)<br /></p>For defending champions England, the dream of retaining the World Cup title may have ended, but they have their sights set on securing a spot in the top 8 to qualify for the 2025 Champions Trophy. A convincing 160-run win over the Netherlands in the last match has propelled England to the seventh spot, putting them in a favourable position in the race.
A win against Pakistan would likely secure England's spot, especially considering the tough opponents Bangladesh and the Netherlands face in Australia and India, respectively, along with their inferior net run-rates compared to England.
Pakistan, despite a disappointing World Cup campaign, have shown some late surge in the last two matches. Fakhar Zaman's explosive batting and the unbroken 194-run partnership between Fakhar and Babar in their recent win over New Zealand have provided glimpses of their potential.
On the other hand, England, after a series of defeats, have found some form in the late stages of the tournament. Ben Stokes and Dawid Malan have performed well in the previous two games, contributing significantly to England's late charge.
England will rely on their pacers, Chris Woakes and David Willey, to make an impact upfront, while spinners Moeen Ali and Adil Rashid will look to control the game in the middle overs. The battle between Pakistan's in-form batters and England's bowling attack promises to be intriguing on the spin-friendly conditions of the Eden Gardens.
As both teams aim for a crucial win for different reasons, the Pakistan vs England clash is set to be a tense and decisive encounter in the ongoing ICC World Cup.
Squads:
England: Jos Buttler (c), Moeen Ali, Gus Atkinson, Jonny Bairstow, Sam Curran, Liam Livingstone, Dawid Malan, Adil Rashid, Joe Root, Harry Brook, Ben Stokes, Brydon Carse, David Willey, Mark Wood and Chris Woakes.
Pakistan: Babar Azam (c), Shadab Khan, Fakhar Zaman, Imam-ul-Haq, Abdullah Shafique, Mohammad Rizwan, Saud Shakeel, Iftikhar Ahmed, Salman Ali Agha, Mohammad Nawaz, Usama Mir, Haris Rauf, Hasan Ali, Shaheen Shah Afridi and Mohammad Wasim.
Match starts: 2pm IST.
(With inputs from PTI)
