The Pakistan cricket team bounced back from four consecutive defeats at the Cricket World Cup to keep their hopes of reaching the semi-finals alive. Led by Babar Azam, Pakistan secured a comfortable seven-wicket victory over Bangladesh in Kolkata on Tuesday. This win marked Pakistan’s third victory out of seven matches, placing them fifth in the points table. Meanwhile, Bangladesh has been eliminated from the semi-final race.
The current top four teams in the points table are India, South Africa, New Zealand, and Australia. India leads the table with 12 points from six games and a net run rate (NRR) of +1.405. South Africa follows closely with 10 points from six games and an NRR of +2.032. New Zealand and Australia occupy the third and fourth spots with eight points each, both having played six games as well.
Pakistan now faces New Zealand and England in their remaining matches. While New Zealand has been in excellent form, the defending champions, England, have struggled. To have a chance at reaching the semi-finals, Pakistan must win both of these matches and hope for favorable results from other teams.
In their recent match against Bangladesh, Pakistan displayed an outstanding performance. They first dismissed Bangladesh for 204 runs and then successfully chased down the target with seven wickets in hand and 17.3 overs to spare. Abdullah Shafique (68) and Fakhar Zaman (81) contributed with their half-centuries, while Mohammad Rizwan (26) and Iftikhar Ahmed (17) finished off the remaining runs.
Bangladesh’s batting lineup failed to gain momentum, with Mahmudullah being the top scorer with a slow 70-ball 56. Litton Das (45), Shakib Al Hasan (43), and Mehidy Hasan Miraz (25) also made contributions, but Pakistan’s bowlers dominated the innings. Shaheen Afridi (3/23) and Mohammad Wasim Jr (3/31) led the attack with three-wicket hauls. Haris Rauf (2/36), Iftikhar Ahmed (1/44), and Usama Mir (1/66) also took wickets.
The final scorecard showed Bangladesh being bowled out for 204 runs in 45.1 overs, while Pakistan reached the target of 205 runs in just 32.3 overs, with Shafique and Zaman leading the way.
Overall, Pakistan’s victory over Bangladesh has revitalized their chances of reaching the semi-finals. They must now maintain their winning momentum in their upcoming matches against New Zealand and England, while also relying on other teams’ results to go their way.
