World Cup: Pakistan face uphill task, England aim for Champions Trophy qualification

NEW DELHI: In a high-stakes clash, Pakistan face a near-impossible task of making it to the World Cup semifinals, needing a miraculous win with an unthinkable margin against a charged-up England. New Zealand's victory over Sri Lanka has virtually shattered Pakistan's semifinal hopes, requiring them to beat England by an improbable margin to have a chance.
New Zealand's superior net run-rate (+0.743) compared to Pakistan's (+0.036) means that for Babar Azam's side to qualify as the fourth team, they have to win by approximately 287 runs if batting first. If chasing, Pakistan needs to win with 284 balls to spare, a practically challenging task.

For defending champions England, the dream of retaining the World Cup title may have ended, but they have their sights set on securing a spot in the top 8 to qualify for the 2025 Champions Trophy. A convincing 160-run win over the Netherlands in the last match has propelled England to the seventh spot, putting them in a favourable position in the race.
A win against Pakistan would likely secure England's spot, especially considering the tough opponents Bangladesh and the Netherlands face in Australia and India, respectively, along with their inferior net run-rates compared to England.
Pakistan, despite a disappointing World Cup campaign, have shown some late surge in the last two matches. Fakhar Zaman's explosive batting and the unbroken 194-run partnership between Fakhar and Babar in their recent win over New Zealand have provided glimpses of their potential.
On the other hand, England, after a series of defeats, have found some form in the late stages of the tournament. Ben Stokes and Dawid Malan have performed well in the previous two games, contributing significantly to England's late charge.
England will rely on their pacers, Chris Woakes and David Willey, to make an impact upfront, while spinners Moeen Ali and Adil Rashid will look to control the game in the middle overs. The battle between Pakistan's in-form batters and England's bowling attack promises to be intriguing on the spin-friendly conditions of the Eden Gardens.
As both teams aim for a crucial win for different reasons, the Pakistan vs England clash is set to be a tense and decisive encounter in the ongoing ICC World Cup.
Squads:
England: Jos Buttler (c), Moeen Ali, Gus Atkinson, Jonny Bairstow, Sam Curran, Liam Livingstone, Dawid Malan, Adil Rashid, Joe Root, Harry Brook, Ben Stokes, Brydon Carse, David Willey, Mark Wood and Chris Woakes.
Pakistan: Babar Azam (c), Shadab Khan, Fakhar Zaman, Imam-ul-Haq, Abdullah Shafique, Mohammad Rizwan, Saud Shakeel, Iftikhar Ahmed, Salman Ali Agha, Mohammad Nawaz, Usama Mir, Haris Rauf, Hasan Ali, Shaheen Shah Afridi and Mohammad Wasim.
Match starts: 2pm IST.
(With inputs from PTI)