In the quest for a semi-final spot at the Cricket World Cup 2023, Australia secured their place following a remarkable victory over Afghanistan on Tuesday.

Their epic win came after a challenging target of 292 runs, during which they found themselves in dire straits at 91/7. Glenn Maxwell rose as the hero, playing an unforgettable innings of an unbeaten 201 to rescue his team.

With Australia now joining India and South Africa in the semi-finals, there remains just one spot up for grabs. Four teams – New Zealand, Pakistan, Afghanistan, and the Netherlands – are now in contention for this coveted spot. The race for the last remaining semi-final berth has intensified in the ICC Men’s Cricket World Cup 2023.

Let’s delve into the qualification scenarios for each of these teams.

New Zealand
New Zealand currently occupies the fourth position with 8 points from 8 matches and a net run rate (NRR) of +0.398. Their fate hinges on their upcoming match against Sri Lanka on November 9. If New Zealand wins, they will have 10 points and a strong chance of qualification, provided that Pakistan and Afghanistan do not win their last fixtures by large margins to compensate for their NRR deficit. However, if New Zealand loses, they will have to rely on both Pakistan and Afghanistan losing their respective matches, as they are all tied on points.

Pakistan
Pakistan is in the fifth position with 8 points and an NRR of +0.036. They will face England on November 11, and their qualification hopes depend on the outcome of the New Zealand vs. Sri Lanka match. If Pakistan wins its match against England and New Zealand loses its match against Sri Lanka, the doors to the semi-finals will be open for Pakistan. In another case, If New Zealand wins against Sri Lanka, Pakistan will need to secure a big victory against England. If they lose, their chances are slim unless both New Zealand and Afghanistan lose their matches, and New Zealand does so by a significant margin.

Afghanistan
Afghanistan, currently in the sixth position with 8 points, faces a daunting task due to their poor NRR. Their last match is against South Africa on November 10. To qualify, Afghanistan must hope for both New Zealand and Pakistan to lose, or they must beat South Africa by a substantial margin and then engage in an NRR battle. If Afghanistan loses, their hopes of advancing are effectively dashed.
 
Netherlands
Netherlands, positioned ninth with 4 points from 7 matches, faces a nearly impossible task. They have two remaining fixtures against England on November 8 and India on November 12. To have any chance, they must not only win both matches by significant margins but also rely on New Zealand, Pakistan, and Afghanistan losing their last games. If they fail to win both matches, their elimination from the tournament is inevitable. 

Meanwhile, Bangladesh, Sri Lanka, and England have already been knocked out of the competition.