World Cup 2019: Semi-final qualification scenarios after Bangladesh-Afghanistan game

With 31 games having concluded, we are now past the halfway point of the ICC Cricket World Cup 2019. The recent results have opened up a whole new set of possibilities for teams who looked dead and buried. But that's what World Cups are all about – you can never write anyone off. While it's been curtains for some teams and sure shot qualifications for others, there are still others who have chances to cause a major upset and qualify for the semi-finals.

Let's have a look at how things stand for each of the 10 teams.

#1 New Zealand (11 points)

Sitting pretty at the top of the table, New Zealand seem almost certain to qualify for the semis. They have always been known as someone who punches above their weight and the Kiwis have proved it again that they are worthy of winning the World Cup.

Qualification scenario

• Win at least 1 of their remaining 3 games
• In case they lose all their 3 games, they have enough points to still make it through

Remaining fixtures

1 - Pakistan (26/06, Birmingham)

2 - Australia (29/06, London)

3 - England (03/06, Durham)

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#2 Australia (10 points)

The 5-time world champions are back at it after a torrid couple of years and what better time to peak than the World Cup? They are strong contenders and will be looking to lift the title for the 6th time.

Qualification scenario

• Need to win 2 of their 3 remaining games for a guaranteed qualification
• 1 win out of 3 could still leave them hanging

Remaining fixtures

1 - England (26/06, London)

2 - New Zealand (29/06, London)

3 - South Africa (06/06, Manchester)

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#3 India (9 points)

India started their campaign very late as compared to others, but very strongly too. They are the only team besides New Zealand remain unbeaten so far. A late and staggered scheduling has meant that their last 4 fixtures are crammed up in a short time. But a superior performance first up has all but sealed their spot as a semi-finalist.

Qualification scenario

• Need to win at least 1 out of the 4 remaining games

Remaining fixtures

1 - West Indies (27/06, Manchester)

2 - England (30/06, Birmingham)

3 - South Africa (02/07, Birmingham)

4 - Sri Lanka (06/07, Leeds)

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#4 England (8 points)

The favorites of this tournament have had a few hiccups along the way, and they could hinder their semi-finals hopes. To make matters worse, they are marred by injuries and they haven't defeated any of the 3 oppositions that they are yet to face for 27 years.

Qualification scenario

• Need to win at least 2 games
• 1 win could also see them through because of their superior NRR

Remaining fixtures:

1 - Australia (25/06, London)

2 - India (30/06, Birmingham)

3 - New Zealand (03/07, Durham)

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#5 Bangladesh (7 points)

Bangladesh have performed really well in this tournament on the back of their all-rounder Shakib al Hasan. They managed to defeat South Africa and West Indies very convincingly and went down fighting against Australia. They will be looking to ram the advantage home in their remaining fixtures.

Qualification scenario:

• Need to win at least 1 game but by a big margin as their NRR is very low

Remaining fixtures:

1 - India (02/07, Birmingham)

2 - Pakistan (05/07, London)

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#6 Sri Lanka (6 points)

The late bloomers have thrown open the tournament by defeating England. It has ruffled the feathers of the top 4 teams who seemed like sure-shot qualifications. Sri Lanka have a very realistic chance of making it through to the next stage but they will also be dependent upon the results of the other games.

Qualification scenario

• Need to win all of their remaining matches by a big margin
• Win at least 2 out of their 3 remaining games and hope other results go in their favour

Remaining fixtures

1 - South Africa (28/06, Durham)

2 - West Indies (01/07, Durham)

3 - India (06/07, Leeds)

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#7 Pakistan (5 points)

The unpredictability of Pakistan has been to the fore in this World Cup. They have either gone big or bust. They have defeated England and South Africa, but have lost by huge margins to West Indies and India which has affected their NRR.

Qualification scenario

• Need to win all their games and also hope that the results of other games are favourable for them

Remaining fixtures

1 - New Zealand (26/06, Birmingham)

2 - Afghanistan (29/06, Leeds)

3 - Bangladesh (05/07, London)

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#8 West Indies (3 points)

It's been an absolute sorry tale for West Indies who could have been ruling the roost. They had their chances against Australia, Bangladesh and New Zealand, but failed to capitalize on them all. Now, their World Cup is virtually all over.

Qualification scenario

• Need to win all their games and also hope that the results of other games go in their favour

Remaining fixtures

1 - India (27/06, Manchester)

2 - Sri Lanka (01/07, Durham)

3 - Afghanistan (04/07, Leeds)

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#9 South Africa (3 points)

No one in their wildest dreams must have thought South Africa would be languishing at the 9th spot halfway through the World Cup. The Proteas are completely out of contention irrespective of the future results.

Qualification scenario

• Out of contention for the semi-finals

Remaining fixtures

1 - Sri Lanka (28/06, Durham)

2 - Australia (06/07, Manchester)

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#10 Afghanistan (0 points)

Everyone had high expectations for the rising Asian team, but they have underperformed. They had their chances against Sri Lanka and India, but the lack of experience to handle pressure clearly showed.

Qualification scenario

• Out of contention for the semi-finals

Remaining fixtures

1 - Pakistan (29/07, Leeds)

2 - West Indies (04/07, Leeds)