World Cup 2019: 3 ways how England might not qualify for the semi-finals
The buzz surrounding the World Cup 2019 has once again taken off after a week of nail-biting clashes that went down to the wire. A week that comprised of a few last-over finishes saw a major upset by the hands of Sri Lanka, who took down the tournament favorites England in a humdinger of a clash.
The defeat, for England, was a major setback to the Morgan-led side as it only ensured that the race to the semifinals spots were left wide open for an extended period of time. For Sri Lanka, who came into the tournament as underdogs.
However, a superb display of temperament by the senior pros, in particular Lasith Malinga, rose to the occasion in managing to script one of the better World Cup wins for Sri Lankan cricket.
With three tough games to go, this defeat raises certain doubts over England's chance to qualify for the semifinals. The hosts will next play against arch-rivals Australia before facing India and New Zealand in one of the highly anticipated games in this World Cup.
If England fail to qualify for the semifinals, it will be one of the major upsets in the history of the World Cups, given how they began the tournament as the firm favorites to lift their maiden World Cup title in this format of the game.
Here's a look at the possible scenarios when England won't qualify for the Semi-Finals:
#1 England lose all 3 matches | Pakistan win their remaining matches
It is a huge possibility that England go on to lose all their remaining fixtures as they face-off against the top three sides in the tournament. With a major loss against Sri Lanka, this scenario might see the hosts on the verge of exit from the tournament.
In losing all three games, England will be stranded with 8 points in nine games, In such case, if Pakistan also manage to win all their remaining games, which also could be on the cards, a premature exit for the tournament favourites will then become an unexpected reality.
England play Australia at the home of cricket of June 25 while Pakistan face lower ranked teams in Afghanistan and Bangladesh in their last two league encounters.
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