Unless a major intricacy shows up in the next week or so, Afghanistan are one of the three teams eligible to stake a claim on the fourth available spot on ICC Cricket World Cup 2023 points table. If truth be told, Afghanistan can even enter the semi-finals as the third-ranked team if they win all their remaining matches and further hope that certain results go as per their wish.
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Currently playing their seventh match against Netherlands in Lucknow, Afghanistan look strongly placed to register their fourth victory of the tournament at a stadium which was their home ground whilst hosting West Indies across the three formats four years ago.
Assuming that the same happens, Hashmatullah Shahidi‘s men will equal Australia and New Zealand with eight points to their name tonight. With two more matches remaining, Afghanistan will have a real chance to further enhance what has already become a memorable competition for them on the back of defeating England, Pakistan and Sri Lanka.
Having said that, their real chance will lie during face-offs against Australia and South Africa in Mumbai and Ahmedabad respectively next week. While victories in both those contests will all but guarantee Afghanistan a third spot, even beating one of those two formidable oppositions could power them to Super 4 supposing they maintain a healthy NRR (Net Run Rate).
| Match | Winner |
| New Zealand vs Pakistan | Pakistan |
| England vs Australia | England |
| India vs South Africa | Inconsequential |
| Bangladesh vs Sri Lanka | Bangladesh |
| Australia vs Afghanistan | Afghanistan |
| England vs Netherlands | Inconsequential |
| New Zealand vs Sri Lanka | Sri Lanka |
| South Africa vs Afghanistan | Afghanistan |
| Australia vs Bangladesh | Bangladesh |
| England vs Pakistan | England |
| India vs Netherlands | Inconsequential |
Afghanistan Have Never Qualified For ODI World Cup Semi-Finals
Unlike arch-rivals Pakistan, Afghanistan are in a better position to qualify for the second round of a World Cup for the first time in history.
In what is their third World Cup campaign, Afghanistan’s first-ever World Cup victory had come in their third match against Scotland in Dunedin eight years ago. Since then, Afghanistan suffered 14 successive losses (three in 2015, nine in 2019 and two this year) before winning another ODI in a global competition.
