He emphasized the critical significance that Fakhar Zaman extended stay at the wicket would have, emphasizing that it may greatly increase Pakistan’s chances of reaching the required net run rate target.
In their last league stage match at the ICC World Cup 2023, Pakistan and England will square off in a major encounter. The victory of New Zealand over Sri Lanka has made Pakistan’s journey to the semi-finals more difficult. Putting aside the recent form disputes, Pakistan needs to defeat England handily in order to guarantee a position. Captain Babar Azam is very confident and upbeat as they get ready for this big match.
Babar Azam seemed confident as he answered questions from the media regarding the difficult situations needed to advance to the semi-finals against England during the press conference. The right-handed batter underlined how dedicated the squad is to following a calculated game plan.
“We have preparations for the game. You don’t exactly start out with everything on fire. The way the first ten overs and the subsequent twenty overs are to be played needs to be planned appropriately. Prioritizing partnerships and determining which player must spend a sufficient amount of time in the middle are among the goals we must first accomplish.
Having said that, in my opinion, we can do all that is demanded of us if Fakhar Zaman stays for 20–30 overs, Babar stated during the press conference.
The message is loud and clear, we aren’t going down without fight 🔥#PAKvsENG pic.twitter.com/VJ87zehbRF
— ZAINI 🇵🇰 (@Zaini_16) November 10, 2023
Pakistan’s prospects of qualifying for the semifinals appear improbable.
New Zealand’s commanding five-wicket victory over Sri Lanka, which also increased the Kiwis’ lead in the points table, made Pakistan’s path to the semi-finals more challenging. Pakistan can match New Zealand’s 10 points, but they face difficulties with their net run rate. With a net run rate of 0.74, New Zealand excels. Pakistan needs to win when batting first by at least 287 runs in order to get to 0.75. They have 284 deliveries left to make up the target if they bowl first.
These situations stay hypothetical when Pakistan is chasing, and the number of deliveries needed will change according to the runs given up. Pakistan’s real chance is to establish a high standard by batting first, ideally reaching 400, and then restricting England to 112 runs. Pakistan’s Net Run Rate would rise above that of New Zealand as a result. With the exception of Pakistan, who, should they qualify, would play in Kolkata’s Eden Gardens, the fourth-ranked team in the points table will take on India in the opening semi-final of the 2023 World Cup at Mumbai’s Wankhede Stadium.