South Africa amassed a colossal total of 357-4 after being instructed to bat first by New Zealand in the ICC World Cup 2023 encounter on Wednesday in Pune.
Meanwhile, Pakistan put an end to their four-match losing streak in the ICC Cricket World Cup 2023 with a convincing seven-wicket triumph over Bangladesh at Eden Gardens on Tuesday.
This pivotal victory propelled Pakistan to the fifth position on the points table, amassing six points from three wins out of seven matches. While Pakistan remain in contention for a semi-final spot, they face a challenging road ahead.
New Zealand currently occupy the third spot on the points table with eight points. For Pakistan to surpass them, they must not only secure a victory against New Zealand but also hope for a significant disparity in run rate, provided both teams conclude with ten points.
New Zealand's net run rate presently stands at +1.232, while Pakistan's is -0.024. New Zealand's net run rate cannot dip below Pakistan's even if South Africa defeats them in the aforementioned clash.
The best Pakistan can aspire to achieve is to equal New Zealand's net run rate if the Kiwis are bowled out for 0 while chasing 358 runs. Given that this is an impossible scenario, it is safe to assume that New Zealand's net run rate will remain higher than Pakistan's after Wednesday's match.
New Zealand's next World Cup fixture is against Pakistan on Saturday (October 4) in Bengaluru.