Pakistan's journey to the Cricket World Cup semifinals hangs in the balance as they secured a crucial seven-wicket victory over Bangladesh, keeping their hopes alive while eliminating Bangladesh from contention. With two matches remaining and a maximum of 10 points within reach, Pakistan finds themselves in need of assistance from other teams to secure a spot in the last four.

Currently sitting in the fifth spot, Pakistan's victory over Bangladesh propelled them past Afghanistan, equalling the two teams' points tally at six. However, Afghanistan still has a game in hand, making their next encounters against New Zealand and England must-win games.

To enhance their chances, Pakistan must rely on outcomes in matches not directly involving them. Firstly, their hopes rely on India defeating Sri Lanka in their upcoming clash. A win for India would eliminate Sri Lanka and reduce competition for Pakistan.

In addition to this, Pakistan needs Afghanistan, currently with six points, to stumble in their remaining matches. If Afghanistan wins all their three matches, even two victories for Pakistan would not be enough to secure a place in the semifinals. Pakistan requires Afghanistan to win only one of their remaining matches against the Netherlands, Australia, or South Africa, keeping them at eight points. If Afghanistan manages to win two matches, reaching a total of 10 points, the semifinal spot could come down to net run-rate.

However, Pakistan's reliance on others extends beyond Afghanistan. In the points table, South Africa (with 10 points) needs just one more win to secure their place in the semifinals. Meanwhile, New Zealand (with 8 points) and Australia (with 8 points) require two more victories to ensure smooth progression. Pakistan's fate is particularly tied to their match against New Zealand, whom they need to defeat at all costs.

Additionally, Pakistan's ideal scenario would involve South Africa winning their match against New Zealand and the Kiwis losing to Sri Lanka. If New Zealand achieves a win in either of their matches, they will end with 10 points, leaving the net run-rate as the deciding factor.

However, even if South Africa fails to win any of their remaining matches, resulting in them also ending with 10 points, Pakistan still faces strong competition from Australia. The team from Down Under, currently finding form, could also reach a total of 10 points. To keep their chances alive, Pakistan needs Australia to defeat Afghanistan and lose to England and Bangladesh, thus bringing the net run-rate into consideration.

Pakistan's journey to the semifinals relies on multiple factors aligning in their favor. With matches against New Zealand, England, and Bangladesh upcoming, they will anxiously await the outcomes of other critical matchups, hoping for some much-needed assistance from India and Afghanistan, as well as favorable results from teams placed second, third, and fourth on the points table.

As the World Cup continues, Pakistan's fate hangs in the balance, creating an intense climax to their group stage campaign.