‘Agar England ne first batting kari toh’- Fans react as Babar Azam says Pakistan have planned for net run-rate situation for match against England in ODI WC 2023

Pakistan and England face off tomorrow in Kolkata for their final league-stage match. While England are out of contention for the semis, Pakistan are still mathematically alive, but their chances are slim. They are fighting for the final spot which is currently held by New Zealand. Pakistan will need to win by a humungous margin to take their net rate above New Zealand’s.

If they bat first and manage to score 300, they will need to bowl the Englishmen out for just 13. Considering they bat second, they will need to complete the chase in approximately 2.5 overs which is close to impossible. Pakistan can only blame themselves for the situation they find themselves in at the moment.

Pakistan started the World Cup campaign well, with wins over Netherlands and Sri Lanka. However, they stumbled against stronger opponents, losing four in a row. Despite wins against Bangladesh and New Zealand in their last two games, their position is precarious. However, ahead of the game against England, Pakistan’s captain sounded positive as he said that Pakistan has done some planning to take care of the net run-rate situation. He said that he hopes for Fakhar Zaman to remain at the crease for 20-30 overs as that will go a long way in helping Pakistan achieve their target.

In a strange coincidence, Pakistan found themselves in a similar situation in the 2019 World Cup, and then-captain Sarfaraz Ahmed said that they would try to score 500 against Bangladesh. On that occasion, Pakistan failed to qualify owing to their inferior net run rate.

England set sights on Champions Trophy

Meanwhile, Jos Buttler will look to get two points from the game to boost England’s chances of qualifying for the 2025 Champions Trophy in Pakistan. England are currently seventh and should qualify even if they lose to Pakistan, but a win would guarantee it. The defending champions will also want to put on a good performance to restore some pride after a disappointing title defence. Pakistan have received automatic qualification for the event as they are the hosts.

It remains to be seen if Pakistan can actually challenge New Zealand, as many fans believe it is an unachievable goal. Some fans have even mocked Azam for his statement, calling him delusional. Here, we look at how ‘X’ reacted to the statement:

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