In the 44th match of the ICC World Cup 2023 between Pak vs Eng at Eden Gardens, Kolkata. England secured a commanding victory over Pakistan, winning by 93 runs on Saturday.
This win also ensured England’s qualification for the 2025 ICC Champions Trophy.
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Pakistan faced early setbacks in their pursuit of the 338-run target, with openers Abdullah Shafique and Fakhar Zaman falling victim to David Willey in the initial three overs. This left Pakistan struggling at 10-2 in 2.4 overs.
Despite efforts from skipper Babar Azam and Mohammad Rizwan to stabilize the innings, both players were dismissed after 22.3 overs, leaving Pakistan at 100 runs with four wickets down. Salman Ali Agha top-scored with 51 runs, while Shaheen Shah Afridi contributed 26 runs.
In the late stages, Haris Rauf and Mohammad Wasim Jr. showcased some power-hitting, combining for 53 runs. However, their efforts fell short, and Pakistan concluded their World Cup journey with a total of 244 runs, all out in 43.3 overs.
England, batting first, posted a formidable total of 337 runs, primarily driven by a strong performance from their top order.
Dawid Malan and Jonny Bairstow set the tone with an 80-run partnership within 13 overs before Malan departed for 31 runs.
Bairstow followed suit, exiting after contributing 59 runs. Yet, Joe Root and Ben Stokes formed a pivotal 132-run partnership, laying a solid foundation. Stokes top-scored with 84 runs, including 11 fours and two sixes, while Root added 60 runs before falling victim to Shaheen Afridi.
Jos Buttler (27 off 18) and Harry Brook (30 off 17) added crucial runs late in the innings, helping England set a challenging target of 338 runs.
Haris Rauf, despite becoming the bowler to concede the most runs in a single World Cup edition, took three wickets for the team in Pak vs Eng. Afridi and Wasim Jr. secured two wickets each, and Iftikhar Ahmed claimed one.
Pakistan concluded their World Cup campaign with four wins out of nine matches, securing the fifth position in the points table with eight points.
