Cricket World Cup 2023: Pakistan eye all-time great triumph over England with semi-final spot on the line

Pakistan have it all to play for as they meet England needing to win by a significant margin to not only match New Zealand on 10 points but also overtake their net run rate.

The equation is simple for Pakistan but that doesn’t make it any easier - bat first and win by 287 runs or more, to snatch fourth place and set up a mouth-watering semi-final clash with arch-rivals India.

Pakistan can hold onto some hope of the unlikely result if their top order can pick up where they left off against New Zealand, when Fakhar Zaman (126*) and Babar Azam (66*) propelled them to 200/1 from only 25.3 overs.

That was enough for Pakistan to clinch victory over New Zealand by 21 runs under the DLS method even while chasing 402, and set up a crunch clash against England with their slim semi-final hopes on the line.

While Pakistan have lofty goals, England enter the encounter with their own motivations for the future as they look to secure a spot in the next ICC Champions Trophy.

Pakistan are set to host that 50-over event in 2025 which will feature the top eight sides on the standings at the end of this Cricket World Cup.

England are currently in seventh place and can't move any higher, but with Bangladesh and Netherlands also having one match to play, a third win of the tournament will at least ensure their qualification.