Former captain Mohammad Yousuf is hoping for some divine intervention so Pakistan can qualify for the semifinals of the World Cup. Pakistan need to bat first and beat Bangladesh by atleast 316 runs in their final group game to stand a chance of advancing to the knockouts.
The equation became nearly impossible for Sarfaraz Ahmed’s side after England thrashed New Zealand by 119 runs on Wednesday to reach the last four.
For all latest news, follow The Daily Star's Google News channel. New Zealand is currently two points ahead of fifth-place Pakistan, but are highly unlikely to lose their place in the top four because of a far superior net run-rate.
“Pakistan are already out, there are no doubts about it. But what if lightning strikes the Bangladesh team so that they are not able to play anymore or fall down. Or they become unfit all of a sudden. What if we have to chase just 10 runs in 1 over, if such a situation arises only then can we qualify.
“The current scenario is very difficult. Even if you’re playing against a lowly-ranked side, winning by 316 runs against them is not going to be easy. Otherwise we can only pray for the lightning to strike the opposition team,” Yousuf joked on a local news channel.
For Pakistan to qualify, they need to bat first and beat Bangladesh by atleast 311 runs if they post 350 on the board, or beat them by 316 runs if they post 400 or win by 321 runs if they manage a total of 450.
If Pakistan bowl first then they will be knocked out even before the first ball is bowled at Lord’s on Friday. New Zealand meanwhile, will qualify if Bangladesh beat Pakistan on Friday. They will also qualify if Bangladesh lose by a lesser margin than the ones mentioned above.
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