NRR-error 404: Pakistan knocked out despite beating Sri Lanka, New Zealand in semis
India Today
PAK vs SL, T20 World Cup Super 8: Sahibzada Farhan's record-breaking century was not enough to save Pakistan, as their narrow win over Sri Lanka left them short of the required run rate to leapfrog New Zealand into the semi-finals. Pakistan needed a victory margin of at least 65 runs, but managed only a five-run win despite posting 212 on the board on Saturday.
Brief scores: Pakistan (212/8 in 20 overs) beat Sri Lanka (207/6 in 20 overs) by five runs in their Super 8 Group 2 match. However, Pakistan failed to qualify for the semi-finals due to an inferior net run rate compared to New Zealand in Group 2. PAK vs SL Scorecard | Highlights
Pakistan won a game of cricket. But, as usual, they lost to arithmetic. It was the familiar, frustrating ending to another disappointing T20 World Cup campaign for the former champions - a victory that ultimately served as nothing more than a scenic route to the airport. On Saturday in Pallekele, they signed off with a win so mathematically irrelevant that the only thing it secured was a dignified exit.
The result also confirmed the venues of the semifinals. Kolkata, and not Colombo, will host the first semifinal between South Africa and New Zealand on March 4. The second semifinal will feature England and the winner of Sunday's Super 8 match between India and the West Indies in Mumbai on March 5.
Okay, back to Pallekele.
On their finest batting day of the tournament, Pakistan finally decided to flourish, largely by dropping the anchor that was Babar Azam and embracing a more modern approach.
Sahibzada Farhan smashed a record-breaking century and Fakhar Zaman bludgeoned a 42-ball 84, powering the side to 212 in 20 overs. For a brief, deluded moment, the improbable began to resemble possibility. To leapfrog New Zealand and join England in the semi-finals, Pakistan simply needed to defend that total by 65 runs. It was a straightforward task – provided one ignored the chronic unpredictability of the Pakistani bowling attack.
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