Former Indian cricketer Anil Kumble delivered a no-nonsense verdict on Pakistan’s chances of making to the T20 World Cup semi-finals ahead of their must-win encounter against Sri Lanka. Salman Ali Agha and co. lost their previous Super 8 game against England, denting their chances of making it to the top four, especially after their game against New Zealand was washed out. Ahead of the PAK vs SL clash, Kumble claimed that Pakistan could qualify but it won’t be an easy task and outlined what the Men in Green had to do in order to make it.
Can Pakistan make it to T20 WC semis?
Speaking on JioHotstar, Kumble reckoned that it would be better for Pakistan if they involved in a run-chase against Sri Lanka in their final Super 8 fixture.
“It can be done, but it won’t be easy. If Pakistan win the toss, chasing might be the better option. Batting first would mean posting a massive total and then bowling the opposition out for something like 65 or less, effectively doing the job twice. If chasing, the requirement becomes finishing the target within 13 overs or so, which is still challenging but perhaps slightly more realistic than dominating across 20 overs in both innings. We’ve seen the surfaces in Sri Lanka, Pallekele tends to be slightly better than Colombo, but it’s not like what we saw in Chennai. Both teams will have to assess conditions quickly,” Kumble said while speaking on JioHotstar.
Qualification scenario for Pakistan
Pakistan need to bring out their A-game against Sri Lanka tonight at Pallekele, something they haven’t done so far in the tournament. If they bat first, the magic number is roughly 64–65 runs, depending on the total they put up. If they bowl first, they need to hunt down the target inside 13 overs or thereabouts.
