The Resilient Quest: Afghanistan's World Cup Qualification Journey

Afghanistan has impressed many with its performance in the ICC Cricket World Cup 2023, beating former World Cup winners England, Pakistan, and Sri Lanka. However, their chances of qualifying for the semi-finals are slim. They need to win their remaining matches by a large margin and hope that New Zealand and Pakistan lose their upcoming matches. Even if Afghanistan wins their remaining matches, their progression is dependent on net run rate (NRR), which is currently worse than both Pakistan's and New Zealand's.

Afghanistan's chances of qualifying for the ODI World Cup 2023 semi-finals

For Afghanistan to qualify, they would need New Zealand and Pakistan, who were both on eight points, to lose their final matches. This would create a three-way tie, with Net Run Rate (NRR) being the decisive factor. If either of these teams won their final match, Afghanistan would be knocked out.

Even if Afghanistan won and both New Zealand and Pakistan lost, Afghanistan's progression would still depend on NRR, which was worse than both of the other teams at the time. Therefore, Afghanistan's chances of qualifying for the semi-finals were slim.

However, Afghanistan had been the surprise package of the tournament, achieving four wins and beating three previous World Cup-winning teams. They had also come close to upsetting Australia, restricting them to 91/7 within 19 overs before ultimately losing.

Going into their final match, Afghanistan needed to beat South Africa by a significant margin to book their place in the semi-finals. They also needed to hope that Pakistan did not beat England by a huge margin, which would improve their NRR.

The impact of New Zealand's win over Sri Lanka on Afghanistan's qualification

New Zealand's win over Sri Lanka had a significant impact on Afghanistan's chances of qualifying for the ICC Cricket World Cup 2023 semi-finals. Here's an analysis of the situation:

New Zealand's Position

New Zealand's victory over Sri Lanka put them in a strong position to claim the last semi-final spot. They moved to 10 points and were in pole position among the teams vying for that last spot. Their net run rate (NRR) also played a crucial role, as it was healthier than that of Afghanistan and Pakistan, their closest competitors.

Afghanistan's Position

Afghanistan's qualification scenario became more challenging after New Zealand's win. They needed to win their last league match against South Africa by a significant margin to have any chance of progressing. Even then, their NRR was a major roadblock, as it was negative (-0.338) compared to their competitors.

Remaining Fixtures

At that stage, the remaining fixtures were as follows:

• Afghanistan vs. South Africa on November 10 in Ahmedabad.
• New Zealand vs. Sri Lanka on November 9 in Bangalore.
• Pakistan vs. England on November 11 in Kolkata.

Qualification Scenarios

For Afghanistan to qualify, they needed to:

• Defeat South Africa by more than 438 runs to secure a top-four spot.
• Hope that Pakistan does not beat England by a huge margin, as it would affect the net run rate (NRR) calculations.

For New Zealand to qualify, they needed to:

• Win against Sri Lanka by a healthy margin to extend their NRR advantage.
• Hope for losses or poor performances by Pakistan and Afghanistan in their respective matches.

In summary, New Zealand's win over Sri Lanka improved their position and made it more difficult for Afghanistan to qualify. Afghanistan's last-minute qualification relied on a significant win over South Africa and unfavourable results for their direct competitors, New Zealand and Pakistan.

Afghanistan's performance in the ICC Cricket World Cup 2023

Afghanistan secured their spot in the ICC Cricket World Cup 2023 by accumulating enough points in the Super League standings. Their match against Sri Lanka was abandoned due to rain, earning them five extra points and a seventh-place finish in the Super League.

In the World Cup itself, Afghanistan has had a mixed bag of results. They lost their opening two games against Bangladesh and India but then bounced back to win three consecutive games against England, Pakistan, and Sri Lanka. Their victory over Pakistan was particularly notable, as it was a shock result that upset their rivals. Afghanistan's performance in the tournament has been characterised by spin-friendly tracks and a spirited team effort.

Going into their match against Australia, Afghanistan controlled their destiny, needing two wins from their last two games to advance to the knockout stages. However, they fell just short of an upset victory over the five-time World Cup winners, with Glenn Maxwell's unbeaten double hundred securing the win for Australia.

Afghanistan's final league match was against South Africa, and they faced an uphill battle to make the top four. They needed a huge victory margin of over 438 runs to secure their place in the semi-finals, which proved to be an impossible equation. Despite their best efforts, Afghanistan's net run rate, which was negative (-0.338), became the biggest obstacle to their semi-final qualification.

Overall, Afghanistan's performance in the ICC Cricket World Cup 2023 has been commendable, with four wins out of seven pool matches. They have shown their potential by defeating former World Cup-winning teams and putting up a strong fight against top contenders.

The match between Afghanistan and Australia at Mumbai's Wankhede Stadium

This match was crucial for both teams, as Australia needed one more win to secure their semi-final berth, while Afghanistan was aiming to keep their qualification hopes alive. The Afghan openers provided a solid start, and they maintained a consistent pace throughout their innings. Afghanistan's bowling attack, led by Azmat Omarzai, who took quick wickets, reduced Australia to 49 for four. However, Maxwell's heroics turned the game around, with his unbeaten double century powering Australia to victory.

Despite the loss, Afghanistan's dream of reaching the World Cup 2023 semi-finals remained alive, although they needed some favourable results in their remaining matches. They faced South Africa in their last league game, knowing that a victory would put them in a strong position. However, it might not have been sufficient, as their net run rate was lower than that of Pakistan and New Zealand. Additionally, they needed both New Zealand and Pakistan to lose their upcoming matches for them to qualify.

The uphill task for Afghanistan to make it to the top four

Afghanistan has been one of the most impressive sides in the ICC Cricket World Cup 2023. Their spirited performance has put them in contention for the semi-finals. However, they face an uphill task in their last league stage match against South Africa at the Narendra Modi Stadium in Ahmedabad to make it to the top four.

Net Run Rate is the biggest roadblock

Afghanistan's qualification depends on their net run rate (NRR), which is currently negative (-0.338). This is lower than Pakistan's NRR of +0.036 and New Zealand's NRR of +0.398. Afghanistan will have to defeat South Africa by a margin of at least 438 runs to secure their place in the top four.

Other results need to go their way

Additionally, Afghanistan's progression hinges on the results of other teams. They must hope that both New Zealand and Pakistan lose their upcoming matches. If Afghanistan loses its match and either of Pakistan and New Zealand wins theirs, the Afghans will be knocked out. Even if all three lose, Afghanistan's progression is still dependent on NRR.

History in the making?

Afghanistan stunned everyone by defeating England, Pakistan, and Sri Lanka in the tournament. They have managed to beat three previous World Cup-winning teams. If they can overcome the odds and secure a place in the semi-finals, it will be a historic moment for the Afghan team.

The road ahead

Afghanistan's remaining fixtures are against Australia in Mumbai and South Africa in Ahmedabad. They will have to put in exceptional performances and hope for favourable results from other matches to make it to the top four.

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