South Africa is in a strong position to qualify, needing to beat England to ensure their advance and possibly top the group depending on net run rate (NRR). Australia’s qualification hinges on their upcoming match against Afghanistan; a win secures them through to five points. Both England and Afghanistan require two wins to remain in contention, as a defeat would eliminate them. Afghanistan also faces challenges, needing to win against England and potentially Australia, with rain affecting their chances of qualification. Overall, the outcomes of the matches will heavily depend on net run rates and points earned.
South Africa
Mat: 2, Pts: 3, NRR: 2.140; Rem mat: vs Eng
If South Africa secures a victory against England, their qualification will be assured, and they could even clinch the top position if their net run rate surpasses that of Australia, even if the latter triumphs over Afghanistan. Conversely, a loss to England might eliminate them from contention if both England and Australia beat Afghanistan.
For South Africa to remain in the race with three points, Afghanistan must achieve at least one win. If Afghanistan defeats England but falls to Australia, both Australia and South Africa will qualify; however, if Afghanistan wins against Australia and loses to England, the battle for second place will be between South Africa and Australia. Should Afghanistan win both encounters, they will finish at the top of the group, and the second position will again be determined by the net run rate between Australia and South Africa.
Australia
Mat: 2, Pts: 3, NRR: 0.475; Rem mat: vs Afg
A win against Afghanistan on Friday will guarantee Australia qualifies with five points. Should they lose, their chances of qualifying will hinge on the outcomes of the two remaining matches featuring England. If England wins both, and Australia loses, then either Australia or South Africa will claim the second spot in the group, based on their net run rate.
England
Mat: 1, Pts: 0, NRR: -0.475; Rem mat: vs Afg, SA
England must secure victories in both of their remaining matches to qualify; losing to either Afghanistan or South Africa will eliminate them from contention. The weather forecast appears favorable for both matches, although Lahore may experience overcast conditions during their clash with Afghanistan, making it improbable for points to be shared.
Afghanistan
Mat: 1, Pts: 0, NRR: -2.140; Rem mat: vs Eng, Aus
Similar to England, Afghanistan requires two victories to guarantee their qualification. If they manage to defeat England and their match against Australia is affected by rain – with forecasts indicating possible rain in Lahore on Friday – they would finish with three points. In this scenario, Afghanistan’s qualification would depend on England defeating South Africa and Afghanistan achieving a better net run rate against South Africa.