Afghanistan suffered a setback in their bid for a spot in the Cricket World Cup semi-finals, as Australia’s Glenn Maxwell led a remarkable comeback. Australia, struggling at 91/7 while chasing a target of 292, witnessed a phenomenal performance from Maxwell who scored an unbeaten 201 runs. His partnership with captain Pat Cummins, who scored 12 runs off 68 balls, helped Australia achieve an extraordinary run chase.
Maxwell battled severe cramps throughout his innings, scoring 144 runs with 21 fours and 10 sixes. Despite considering retirement when he reached 147, he persevered, leading Australia to victory, marking their sixth consecutive win after two initial losses.
As a result, Afghanistan’s three-match winning streak ended, putting pressure on them in their final group game against South Africa.
How can Afghanistan qualify for the semi-finals?
With New Zealand and Pakistan vying for the final spot as well, a win against the already-qualified Proteas may not be sufficient for Afghanistan to advance. All three teams have earned eight points from as many games, but New Zealand maintains a superior net run-rate.
Afghanistan’s inferior run-rate implies that they would need significant victories to secure a semi-final spot. Pakistan will face England, while Afghanistan will play South Africa. Afghanistan’s net run-rate stands at -0.338, while New Zealand’s is at +0.743, making it extremely challenging for Afghanistan to not only defeat South Africa but also improve their run-rate significantly compared to New Zealand.
