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[Saba Sports News] In the 44th match of the ODI World Cup 2023 at Kolkata’s Eden Gardens, England, led by Jos Buttler, faced Pakistan. England, the 2019 champions, were already out of the semifinal contention, while Pakistan needed an improbable feat to surpass New Zealand’s net run rate but ultimately failed, confirming their exit from the tournament. India and New Zealand are set for the semi-final, with Australia facing South Africa.
Pakistan’s challenging scenarios for qualification included overwhelming victory margins if batting first or impossibly rapid chases if bowling first. These calculations, largely unfeasible, meant New Zealand’s advancement was almost certain due to their superior net run rate.
England set a target of 337, with notable performances from Jonny Bairstow, Joe Root, and Ben Stokes, who scored a dynamic 84 off 76. Pakistan’s Haris Rauf shone with the ball, taking three wickets. Pakistan, needing an unrealistic chase in just 6.4 overs for semifinal qualification, were at 62/3 at the time of the report, with Saud Shakeel and Mohammad Rizwan at the crease.