Latest ICC World Cup 2023 Points Table: Pakistan Jump To Fifth Position, Bangladesh Eliminated

Opener Fakhar Zaman capped his return with an attacking fifty after Shaheen Shah Afridi's fiery spell as Pakistan knocked Bangladesh out of the World Cup with a seven-wicket win to keep their slim semifinal hopes alive in Kolkata on Tuesday.

Shaheen spearheaded their three-pronged pace attack with splendid figures of 9-1-23-3 as Pakistan bundled out Bangladesh for a lowly 204 in 45.1 overs.

Fakhar, who missed five of their six matches because of a knee injury, smashed seven sixes and three fours in his 74-ball 81. Abdullah Shafique also struck a quick 68 off 69 balls (9x4, 2x6) as the new-look opening pair laid the foundation with an imposing 128-run alliance.

Just when it looked like a one-way traffic for Pakistan, off-spinner Mehidy Hasan Miraz (3/60) took both the openers but with no scoreboard pressure Pakistan knocked off the paltry 205-run target in 32.3 overs.

This was Bangladesh's sixth loss on the trot as the Shakib Al Hasan-led side became the first team to be officially eliminated from the 10-team global showpiece with two matches in hand. They next play Sri Lanka and Australia in their last two matches.

Having returned to winning ways after enduring four defeats, Pakistan with three wins from seven matches kept their faint semifinal hopes alive. They next take on New Zealand before concluding their league campaign against England.

Pakistan are currently placed fifth on the World Cup 2023 points table.

The Rohit Sharma-led Indian team is the only undefeated team in the tournament so far and they are sitting on top of the World Cup 2023 points table with 12 points in six games.

South Africa is in the second position with five victories in six matches followed by New Zealand and Australia who have won four matches each in six games.

Afghanistan are placed sixth with three wins and three loses in their six games followed by Sri Lanka and Netherlands who have four points each.

Defending champions England are at the bottom of the World Cup 2023 points table with their only win coming against Bangladesh earlier in the tournament. They have been outplayed by their opponents in all the three departments.

One side endured the agony of a close defeat and other felt the ecstacy of victory in a rip-roaring game but when New Zealand and South Africa clash in a World Cup game in Pune on Wednesday both will start on an even keel.

The current edition of World Cup has featured mostly lopsided games but if the two games stood out, one certainly was South Africa's one-wicket win against Pakistan in Chennai and New Zealand nearly pulled off a sensational chase of 388 against Australia before finishing five runs short.

With both teams firmly in contention for semi-final berths, one can expect good game of cricket where batters of both sides are expected to set the tone of the match.

For New Zealand (8 points from 6 games) , the Dharamsala-leg after four straight victories didn't pan out on expected lines and another loss would give the likes of Afghanistan (6 points) and Pakistan (4 points) a shot at semi-final qualification.

On the other hand, if South Africa (10 points from 6 games) win, the 12 points will almost put them in the last-four bracket alongside India.

Hence, it would be one of the most high-stakes game of the league stage and a team like Pakistan wouldn't mind if New Zealand suffer a hat-trick of defeats.

(With PTI inputs)