Post-match chatter
Both captains are understandably dismayed in their TV briefings.
Babar Azam says Pakistan made mistakes in their batting, bowling and fielding throughout the competition. When pressed on whether he will be the one to facilitate the rebuild: "Yes, I will. I will give my best to pitch in."
As for Jos Buttler, the victories have been too few and too late, but today's does mean something.
"It's nice to put in a good performance and finish that way. Ultimately, it's been a disappointing performance and probably sinks in now. You feel more emotional about it now. A lot to reflect on.
"We spoke before this match that if this is the end of an era or whatever, let's make it fun. Wherever we go from here, today was a good day."
That's all from Pakistan, England and us on the Live Report. See you tomorrow!
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Player of the match - David Willey
"The tournament hasn't gone to plan to us for a whole," the retiring Willey says in his post-match interview. "It would have been nice to have gone out on a real high."
"If I look back to my academy times, I was never the best player. I've just found a way to be resilient. I'm immensely proud of every game, proud of every time I've pulled on a shirt and sang that anthem.
"You only have to look around the dressing room; we've got masses of talent. We're going to look back as a collective at this tournament being a big disappointment."
On the subject of not getting one of the 26 ECB central contracts, which triggered his retirement, Willey said: Keysy (managing director Rob Key) said hopefully you can prove me wrong. So hopefully I've done that these past three games.
"It's not often you get to go out on your own terms. I can without looking over my shoulder..."
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Pakistan 244 all out - England win by 94
A chaotic last-wicket partnership comes to an end as Haris Rauf heaves Chris Woakes into the night sky, before the ball drops into the reliable hands of Ben Stokes.
Victory was secured with 39 deliveries to spare. On all fronts, it was a comprehensive win for England to sign off a disappointing defence of their 50-over title.
Pakistan arrived with hopes of doing the unthinkable and breaking into the top four, but that died a death as soon as Jos Buttler called correctly and opted to bat first. Once England had posted 337, the dream was truly over. Nevertheless, Babar Azam's charges secured a fifth-place finish, while England make do with a disappointing seventh. Champions Trophy qualification a small, small crumb of comfort.
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53 off 32 between Rauf and Wasim!
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Pakistan might be circling the drain, but Haris Rauf and Mohammad Wasim are refusing to budge just yet. David Willey's final over in international cricket gets clumped for 13.
It was the fifth over of this spell, Jos Buttler indulging in some sentimentality hoping Willey would get to close out the innings in his final appearance.
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Rauf goes boom!
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Haris Rauf having a bit of fun, at the expense of Gus Atkinson, who had 2 for 21 from 6 coming into this over. It is an eventful set, with as many misses as brutal strikes down the ground and on the pull, as Rauf puffs his chest out in a bid to alpha the younger quick. Some last bits of joy before the curtain closes.
Pakistan 209 for 9 in the 41st over
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David Willey makes it to 100 wickets in his final ODI!
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50 up for Aghar Salman!
An impressive half-century from 42 deliveries by the allrounder, with a few clean strikes for his seven boundaries to take him to this fourth milestone of his ODI career.
He's had no support at the other end, but has made his third appearance at this World Cup count. Victory may be beyond Pakistan, but they can secure fifth spot - ahead of Afghanistan - if they pass 187, which is now looking more likely thanks to Salman
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Matt Roller on Adil Rashid
At 35, Adil Rashid is the third-oldest player in England’s World Cup squad but he is one member of this Dad’s Army who will march into a few more battles yet. Rashid will finish the tournament as England’s leading wicket-taker (14 and counting) and has been one of their few consistent performers over the last six weeks.
Just as pertinently, the long-term replacements are few and far between. Rehan Ahmed will travel to the Caribbean next month and has a two-year central contract, but is only 19 and remains a work in progress with the ball: he has a wicked googly, but hardly turns his legbreak, while he can struggle for control under pressure.
Other potential candidates like Matt Parkinson and Mason Crane have fallen off the radar in the last couple of years, both struggling for form at county level. The sense is, therefore, that Rashid will stick around for a while yet, tasked not only with performing himself as he manages an ageing body, but managing England’s succession plan.
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Rizwan falls - literally
The start of Rizwan's World Cup campaign was punctuated by cramping - and that is exactly how it ends.
Unfortunately, it was far less glorious than the collapses during his second knock of the tournament - an epic 131 not out against Sri Lanka. On 36 here, he charged Moeen Ali, missed it, got bowled middle stump, then leapt off his feet and crashed to the floor clutching his right hamstring.
It was a subdued knock, of 51 deliveries and just two fours. Pakistan's pursuit is going nowhere, the ask now above 9 an over. Our win predictor has their chances at 7.19%, which sounds about right all told.
Just to make matters worse, Saud Shakeel is getting treatment on his hand after Agha Salman's drive catches him at the nonstriker's end.
Pakistan are now four down, needing 230 from the remaining 25 overs
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Babar c Rashid b Atkinson 38
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Pakistan 50 for 2 after 11 overs
The first Power Play is done, Babar emerging from it with a breezy 32 while his usual ally Mohammed Rizwan is on a watchful 9.
With the fielding restrictions loosened, in comes Adil Rashid, but there is no great turn on offer. Rizwan, the better player of spin, drops to one knee to sweep him to the leg side fence for a boundary, as he concedes 7 from his first over. Surrey quick Gus Atkinson to come in at the other end, which will suit the Pakistan captain.
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It's official - Pakistan fail to make the semi-finals
They needed to be home and hosed after 6.4 overs. Alas, they were a more realistic 30 for 2.
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Fakhar goes - Willey moves to 99...
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Abdullah Shafique goes second ball!
Early movement from Willey pins the opener in front. It's so plumb that Fakhar Zaman can't see a reason why Shafique could review it. Off he walks as Willey's 98th ODI dismissal.
Out comes Babar Azam, who closes out the over with two fours sandwiching a wide from the left-arm seamer. A wicket and nine runs from the first over.
For those wanting to keep track, here is the breakdown of how things could pan out this innings:
If Pakistan chase in 6.4 overs or less - Pakistan will finish at No.4
If Pakistan chase in 10.1 overs or less - England will finish below Sri Lanka
If Pakistan chase in 30.3 overs or less - England will finish below Bangladesh
If Pakistan score 187 or less - Pakistan will finish below Afghanistan
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Don't miss Pakistan's chase...
If you're in the USA, catch the England vs Pakistan game LIVE on ESPN+
LIVE ball-by-ball commentary of the England vs Pakistan game is available for you in Hindi
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Matchday LIVE - Kumble, Harmison and Urooj discuss England's innings
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England post 337 for 9!
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David Willey's furious swings find 14 from the first half of the final over, before Mohammed Wasim holds firm to have Willey caught in the deep before flattening Gus Atkinson's off stump. The hat-trick ball swings, pitches full but just veers too far down the leg side, passing through the legs of Adil Rashid as a bye is sneaked off the last delivery.
Beyond a tricky start, and losing Brook and Buttler in the space of five deliveries, this was pretty much all England thanks to Ben Stokes (84), the solidity Joe Root (60) and Jonny Bairstow's verve up top after coming to terms with the deck.
As for Pakistan's hopes, well, they need to chase their target of 338 in 6.4 overs to finish in top four. Provided they get to 188, they will finish in the top five.
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Pakistan rally...
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A spirited fightback from Pakistan, instigated in the field. Both Harry Brook (30) and Jos Buttler (27) have fallen in the space of five deliveries. The former was caught well by Shaheen scuttling to his left up in the circle at mid off, before the latter was run out smartly by Haris Rauf throwing from the edge of the circle at third and knocking down the nonstriker's stumps as the England captain charged for a single.
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Rauf catches Jos... but steps on the sponge!
It looked like Jos Buttler's dire campaign would end in apt fashion as he launched a ball high into the sky down the ground, straight to Haris Rauf. But the quick takes one too many steps back after holding on and ends up treading on the boundary and giving the England captain six runs.
It took Buttler to 19, and kept England four down ahead of a late dash that Harry Brook has set in motion with 20 runs off Shaheen Shah Afridi's final over:
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Stokes goes!
What a delivery from Shaheen - vintage inswinging yorker, taking Stokes' off stump for a walk, for a familiar score...
Jos Buttler comes to the crease, desperate to end a dismal personal campaign with some joy. England 242 for 3 midway through the 41st over
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Roooooooot - can he make it to three figures?
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Switch - flicked!
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A trio of boundaries from Ben Stokes sets about the charge, taking his stand with Joe Root into three figures. A charge strikes clean down the ground for four, before a powerful reverse sweep that sends the ball over the boundary at fine leg and almost rips Stokes' left knee clean off its hinges. The third in the sequence, however, was an edge - a mere crumb of comfort for Agha Salman, whose three overs have gone for 25.
Now Root strikes back-to-back boundaries to kick off the 39th over from Mohammad Wasim. What reverse swing there is, is currently being wasted...
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Stokes on another one...
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Matt Roller on Pakistan's plight
This is a strange position for Pakistan, effectively playing for pride with their semi-final chances now only theoretical. Even if they bowl England out for 150, they’d be left needing to hit every ball they faced for six in the run chase – and even that might not be enough.
They have dragged things back since the Powerplay, turning England’s 72 for 0 after 10 overs into 140 for 2 after 25. Iftikhar Ahmed was the man to break the opening stand, with Dawid Malan miscuing a reverse-sweep, while Haris Rauf responded from an expensive start to get Jonny Bairstow.
But there have been a couple of freebies from Shadab Khan, who has struggled for form throughout this tournament, and England are still ticking along into the middle overs. Perhaps the deflation of knowing their knockout hopes are up has bled into their approach somewhat, with Shaheen Shah Afridi dropping caught-and-bowled chances - Malan on 0, Ben Stokes on 10 - and Mohammad Rizwan uncharacteristically sloppy behind the stumps.
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A second fifty of CWC23 for Bairstow - his first since 10 October (v Bangladesh)
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Malan bows out with 31
A pretty ungainly way to go, edging a reverse sweep into Mohammad Rizwan's gloves, who takes the catch at the second attempt. But it caps off a productive World Cup for Malan.
He has been the one standout batter in a dour campaign, one of two centurions and the only England batter with three fifty-plus scores at this juncture. Despite his pedigree in T20 cricket, Malan said there was every chance this would be his last match in an England shirt ahead of a mooted changing of the guard.
If that is the case, averages of 55.76 (ODI) and 36.38 (T20i) underline just how reliable a white ball player he was for his country.
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Signing off in style
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England into their stride
43 legal deliveries for England's half-century
Jonny Bairstow has been motoring, and cuts the first delivery from Iftikhar Ahmed through point for four - already his sixth boundary of the innings to bring up England's fifty. Having started tentatively, he seems to have sussed the pitch and has leapt on anything slightly off. He struck the first six of the innings in the previous over against Afridi, using the pace to ramp easily inside third.
The left-arm quick will be rueing that dropped catch in his second over - a plink back to him with Dawid Malan still on a duck. Malan has since opened his arms and Babar Azam is already scratching his head.
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England's first runs of the innings...
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After Shaheen Shah Afridi opened with a maiden against Dawid Malan, Haris Rauf gives England runs on the board with a couple of wayward deliveries. Early days, but the pitch is nipping about - both Malan and Jonny Bairstow coaxed into flirts outside off stump without any real conviction, and Rauf even pins Bairstow's front pad, albeit after an inside edge. Two overs in, still no run off the bat.
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Can England or Pakistan get some satisfaction?
Probably not much. But it is an excuse to talk about a cricket-mad Rolling Stone.
Mick Jagger is in Kolkata and was at England's hotel last night, posing for a group pic with Buttler, Curran, Atkinson, Carse, Malan, Bairstow and Brook. He's not a guest of the team as reported locally but is due to be here today under his own steam.
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The end of an era
"It is the end of an era. England will lose their status as reigning champions in both men's white-ball formats next Sunday, and the golden generation of players who underpinned their unprecedented limited-overs success will splinter. Saturday's fixture against Pakistan in Kolkata will be the final match of several storied ODI careers."
Matt Roller pays tribute to a group of England players who should not be remembered for the lows of the past six weeks, but for the highs of the preceding seven years.
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Matchday LIVE with Kumble, Harmison and Urooj
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England win the toss... and bat first!
A dagger to the hearts of Babar Azam, his team and millions of Pakistan fans worldwide. Jos Buttler decides to bat first, making an overturn of Pakistan's run rate that little bit tougher. Actually, it makes it borderline impossible.
England are unchanged from their victory over the Netherlands, while Pakistan have a single change - Hasan Ali is out, Shabab Khan is in.
England: 1 Jonny Bairstow, 2 Dawid Malan, 3 Joe Root, 4 Ben Stokes, 5 Harry Brook, 6 Jos Buttler (capt/wk), 7 Moeen Ali, 8 Chris Woakes, 9 David Willey, 10 Gus Atkinson, 11 Adil Rashid
Pakistan: 1 Abdullah Shafique, 2 Fakhar Zaman, 3 Babar Azam (capt), 4 Mohammad Rizwan (wk), 5 Saud Shakeel, 6 Iftikhar Ahmed, 7 Shadab Khan, 8 Agha Salman, 9 Mohammad Wasim Jnr, 10 Shaheen Shah Afridi, 11 Haris Rauf
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The culmination of two campaigns in Kolkata?
So here we are, the end of the road.
Certainly for England. The defending champs had their crown knocked off the best part of a month ago but only at the end of this encounter will they have to hand it over. It has been, well, something. Or rather, nothing. The proclaimed kings of modern white ball cricket are kings no more.
Even Pakistan, the princes for the sake of this analogy, need snookers for a shot throne. Only victory by 287 runs will get them into the semi-finals – a margin which relies on them batting first but not necessarily winning the toss given some of Jos Buttler's decisions after calling correctly.
Though Babar Azam’s side retains an outside shot of breaching the final four, neither he nor Buttler anticipated this last group stage match being framed as close to a nothing encounter. Nevertheless, there is pride to play for, and never more so than when it is the only thing at stake.
Each governing body will embark on its own rigorous post-mortems, and by the end of play today, either the ECB or PCB will have a few grains of sugar to sprinkle on their own. It’s hard not to regard this as a sign-off for players who have brought so much joy, particularly for England who are due to wave goodbye to a handful of dual World Cup winners. Signing off with a win would at least mean they saw this particularly grim campaign through and reinforce the notion that Buttler deserves to remain as white ball skipper for the time being.
For Pakistan, the miracle of their DLS victory over New Zealand has them coming to Kolkata with ambitions to play up the divinity. And though they have shed their conservativeness a little too late, a win will at least register them as the best of the rest, even if the focus remains on what might have been.
These are two well-match sides, of skillsets that challenge the best of what the other has to offer. At the very least, that will lend itself to an engaging showdown, particularly while Pakistan’s hopes are still alive and kicking.
The toss is 30 minutes away. In the meantime, sup on our match preview to get you in the mood.
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