The Pakistan cricket team, led by Babar Azam, is starting to see a glimmer of hope in the ODI Cricket World Cup 2023. After facing four consecutive defeats in the tournament, the 1992 Cricket World Cup champions managed to secure a convincing seven-wicket victory over Bangladesh in Kolkata. This win propelled them to the fifth position in the points table, with three wins out of seven matches. Adding to their optimism, New Zealand suffered a loss to South Africa in a World Cup match held in Pune.
In the current points table, South Africa and India claim the top two spots, both with 12 points each. New Zealand now occupies the fourth position with 8 points in seven matches and a net run rate (NRR) of +0.484. Australia stands at the third spot with 8 points from six matches and an NRR of +0.970. Pakistan finds themselves in fifth place, holding 6 points from seven games with an NRR of -0.024, while Afghanistan is in the sixth position with 6 points from six matches and an NRR of -0.718. With New Zealand’s recent loss, they are now within reach of the next three teams in the points table.
Pakistan’s upcoming matches against New Zealand and England offer a potential path to the semi-finals. If they can secure victories in these matches and receive favourable outcomes from other teams, they may have an outside chance of making it to the final four. Nevertheless, Afghanistan and the 7th-placed Sri Lanka, with 4 points from six matches and an NRR of -0.275, are also contenders in this race. Afghanistan’s upcoming opponents include the Netherlands, Australia, and South Africa, while Sri Lanka is set to face India, Bangladesh, and New Zealand.
On a notable note, South Africa’s formidable opener, Quinton de Kock, reached an extraordinary milestone during a match against New Zealand at the Maharashtra Cricket Association Stadium in Pune. De Kock marked his fourth century of the ICC World Cup 2023, becoming the first South African batter to surpass the 500-run mark in a single World Cup edition. Additionally, this century equalled Kumar Sangakkara’s record of four centuries in a single World Cup edition, a feat previously accomplished by the Sri Lankan batter in the 2015 ODI World Cup. Indian captain Rohit Sharma still holds the top spot with five centuries in a single World Cup edition.
Furthermore, de Kock matched the accomplishments of Adam Gilchrist and Sangakkara by achieving the most 50+ scores by a wicket-keeper in a single World Cup edition. With 22 sixes to his name, de Kock also holds the record for the most sixes hit by a wicketkeeper-batter at the ODI World Cup.
In the World Cup, South Africa continued their impressive run by amassing a substantial total against New Zealand, scoring 357/4, led by centuries from Rassie van der Dussen and Quinton de Kock.