“Keep believing Pakistan” – Michael Vaughan takes an indirect dig at Men in Green ahead of 2023 World Cup game vs England
Former England skipper Michael Vaughan recently took an indirect dig at Pakistan ahead of their last league game against England in the ongoing 2023 World Cup in Kolkata on November 11.
Vaughan shared the possible scenarios for Pakistan to finish inside the top four in the points table and book a semi-final spot in the marquee ICC tournament.
On Friday, November 10, Vaughan wrote on X (formerly known as Twitter):
“Keep believing Pakistan .. You never know .. #CWC2023”
For the unversed, Pakistan must win the toss because they need to chase the target in a few overs. If defending a target, they must win the game by 287 runs for a better net run rate (NRR) than New Zealand, who are currently placed fourth in the points table with 10 points after nine league matches.
If Babar Azam and company fails to deliver on Saturday, the Blackcaps will progress through to the sem-finals, where they will face Team India in a repeat of the 2019 semi-finals.
Pakistan are currently placed fifth with eight points in as many games and a net-runrate of +0.036.
The first kockout game will be played between the top and fourth-placed sides at the Wankhede Stadium in Mumbai on November 15.
Champions Trophy spot on stake as England takes on Pakistan in final league game in 2023 World Cup
While Pakistan have an impossible task of finishing inside the top four, England must finish in the top seven in the points table for automatic qualification for the 2025 Champions Trophy.
Jos Buttler and company have managed two wins in eight matches and are placed seventh in the standings with four points. A win will help them retain their spot.
Take a look at the World Cup points table:
However, Bangladesh and the Netherlands also have four points after eight matches. If any of these two teams win, then the net run rate (NRR) will decide who will finish in the seventh spot.
England won their last game against the Netherlands by 160 runs, while Pakistan beat South Africa by 21 runs via the DLS method.