Disheartened by the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) and team struggles in the ICC Men's Cricket World Cup, Babar Azam is considering stepping down as the captain of white-ball cricket.
According to Pakistani media outlet Geonews, Babar is already seeking guidance from his close circle like former PCB chairman Ramiz Raja, and especially from his father about what should be his future course of action.
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Close aides recommend relinquishing leadership in all three formats, citing challenges faced by prominent captains in the past against Australia away from home, especially in the longer format, in which Pakistan have struggled in recent history.
Amidst setbacks and triumphs in the World Cup, Azam's postponed decision reflects the complexity of the situation. The team's net run-rate and the need for a substantial victory against England add pressure to the ongoing campaign.
What does Pakistan have to do against England to qualify for World Cup 2023 semifinal?
Ahead of the New Zealand vs Sri Lanka clash, Pakistan's fans and team would have been hoping for the Asian side to pull off a win, or for the match to end without a result, so that New Zealand would only be able to get zero or one point and finish on a maximum of nine points.
Had one of these scenarios unfolded, Pakistan would have been able to qualify by simply beating England on Saturday, thereby going to 10 points, although there would still have been a (very slim) chance of Afghanistan beating South Africa and overtaking Pakistan's net run rate (NRR).
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However, they have been dealt the worst possible result from the New Zealand vs Sri Lanka match with the former winning, and comfortably at that.
Here's the situation Pakistan are now facing:
Case 1: If they bat first, Pakistan will need to win by around 287 runs against England in order to overtake New Zealand's net run rate — a margin of victory that is scarcely believable, even though the defending champions have struggled during this tournament and are already out.
For example, If Pakistan score 300 after batting first, they have to bowl out England for 12 runs or less. If Pakistan score 400 runs, they have to bowl out England for 112 runs or less.
Case 2: Their task is even more difficult if they bat second, though. Even if Pakistan could bowl England out for just 50, they would still need to chase that target in 2.3 overs in order to go ahead of the Kiwis.
Verdict: Therefore, for all intents and purposes Pakistan are out of the World Cup. If England bat first, Pakistan have no hope. Their only hope remaining is to bat first, attempt to score above 400 and then bowl England out cheaply. This is extremely unlikely to happen, but never say never!
Whether you think Pakistan will make the semifinal or not, you can predict the outcome for a chance to win prizes in the CWC 2023 Predictor game here (selected regions).
(The Sporting News, odds via Dafabet)
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Who will win the 2023 World Cup?
India and Australia are among the favourites for the 2023 World Cup title. The odds are as follows, and you can click here to make your bet (selected regions).
| Team | Odds |
|---|---|
| India | 1.95 |
| Australia | 4.50 |
| South Africa | 5.50 |
| New Zealand | 7.50 |
| Pakistan | 301.00 |
