PAK vs ENG: Will Haris Rauf and Shadab Khan miss Pakistan's must-win game vs England in Kolkata?

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PAK vs ENG: In a good news to Pakistan and their fans, pacer Haris Rauf will be available for selection in the must win game against England at the Eden Gardens in Kolkata on Saturday, November 11.

Haris Rauf was taken for an MRI scan after complaining of pain in his ribs. However, the reports did not show any major concerns and the 30-year-old will be available for selection against Jos Buttler's England.

The Rawalpindi-born pacerm, who turned 30-year-old on Tuesday, has been highly unimpressive in the ongoing World Cup 2023. He has picked 13 wickets in eight matches at an average of 36.07 and an economy rate of 6.79. He has leaked over 80 runs twice in the tournament so far.

Further, leg-spinner Shadab Khan will also be available. Shadab suffered a concussion injury while fielding during the Pakistan vs South Africa match in Chennai on October 27. He landed awkwardly on his shoulder, hitting his head on the ground while fielding at mid-on.

He could not field or bowl further in the match and Usama Mir was brought in as his concussion substitute. Shadab Khan has missed Pakistan's following two matches against Bangladesh and New Zealand.

PAK vs ENG: Will Pakistan qualify for semifinals of World Cup 2023?

Australia are almost certain of becoming the third team to qualify for the World Cup 2023 semi-finals. New Zealand, Pakistan and Afghanistan are in the race to grab the final fourth spot.

Afghanistan are left with two matches and a win in each of them will take them to 12 points. Fourth-placed New Zealand and fifth-placed Pakistan are tied at eight points. They would not be able to go up to 12 points as they are left with one league match each. However, the bad news for Afghanistan is that they face Australia and South Africa in their last two games.

The simplest way forward for Pakistan is to win their match against England and then hope for New Zealand and England to lose their remaining match. In case New Zealand, Pakistan and Afghanistan win a match each, Net Run Rate (NRR) will come into play. Pakistan's semi-finals qualification chances are low as their fate is not in their own hands.