Captain Babar Azam claims that Pakistan’s “dominant” one-day series victory against New Zealand has put the team in a strong position for the World Cup, despite concerns over their participation.
The hosts won the five-match series 4-1 over a depleted New Zealand squad, briefly taking the top spot in the one-day rankings.
In the second match of the series, Pakistan scored 337 runs to complete their second-highest successful chase in one-day internationals.
Babar Azam, who was on his route to his 18th century in the format, also became the player to reach 5,000 ODI runs the fastest.
By scoring three consecutive hundreds in ODIs, opener Fakhar Zaman has made history and cemented his place in Pakistan’s top three along with Imam-ul-Haq.
Due to hostilities with India, Pakistan’s participation in the World Cup in October–November is still up in the air.
However, Captain Babar Azam maintains optimism after Sunday’s last match loss.
He acknowledged his happiness at the team’s good position heading into the World Cup as a result of the series victory and number-one rating. Babar said when asked about the ambiguity surrounding their participation that the team will play wherever they have the opportunity to do so.
When India stated that it would not be sending a team to Pakistan for the Asia Cup in September, one month before the World Cup, the stalemate between the two nations began.
The World Cup has been endangered by the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) due to the continuous tensions with India. Despite this danger, there are signs that things might be getting better.
Babar Breaks World Record
Babar Azam, the Pakistan skipper, became the fastest batter to reach 5,000 one-day international runs.
