A few days ago only India, New Zealand, and South Africa were the hot favorites to reach the final four leaving the 4th position wide open for the remaining teams of the ICC World Cup 2023. Even though none of the teams have lost their position. South Africa and England’s upsets have alive the tournament again. On Sunday 15th, Afghanistan stunned England and on Tuesday 17th, the Netherlands upset South Africa creating a chance for other teams that were not in the top four.
The two major upsets of Afghanistan’s England and Netherlands’ against South Africa has wide open the mega event. Pakistan, England, Afghanistan, Bangladesh, Australia, and the Netherlands have the chance to make it to the final four. Any of the teams can qualify for the semis by playing good cricket.
For two spots six teams will be fighting, South Africa, Pakistan, England, Australia, Afghanistan, and Bangladesh. But the main competition will be among South Africa, Pakistan, England and Australia. Bangladesh and Afghanistan can also qualify but they have to beat the giants of cricket.
Also Read : Netherlands Stunned South Africa to Win a Crucial by 38 runs in the ICC World Cup 2023
South Africa after 3 matches is at No.3 on the points table with 4 points and a healthy NRR of 1.07. South Africa will take on England in the next match. This match will be crucial for both teams. If England loses, their qualification for the final four be under scrutiny because England has already lost 2 matches out of 3. If South Africa loses the game they will remain in the hunt but will be a difficult journey after that.
Pakistan is at No.4 on the points table with 4 after winning the initial matches. But the loss against India has badly affected Pakistan’s NRR which is negative after playing 3 matches. Pakistan will take on Australia on 20th October. The match is equally important for both teams as Pakistan will look to consolidate their position in the top four while Australia will to earn 2 points.
England is at 5 with just a win against Bangladesh. They are struggling to get to the top four. Eng vs SA will be a crucial one for them to win if they want to stay in the tournament.
Australia is at No.8 after playing 3 matches. After losing their initial two matches against India and South Africa they beat Sri Lanka one-sided. Due to bad NRR, they are behind Afghanistan and Bangladesh which is a bit unusual. The game against Pakistan will be very important for them to win.
Afghanistan, Bangladesh, and the Netherlands are 6th, 7th, and 9th respectively with 2 points on the table. If Afghanistan beats New Zealand and Pakistan in the next matches they will have a better chance of qualifying for the final four. Bangladesh also has a 30% chance of making it to the Semi-Finals. Bangladesh’s next match against India will be very crucial for them.
The Netherlands and Sri Lanka might not make it to the Semi-Finals but they will spoil the party of a big team. We can expect more upsets.
