Published: May 05, 2023, 03:11 PM (IST)
Edited: May 05, 2023, 07:28 PM (IST)
New Delhi: Babar Azam-led Pakistan will host Tom Latham’s New Zealand in the fourth ODI match at the National Stadium in Karachi, on Friday. The hosts have gained an unbeatable lead of 3-0 over the visitors and will now have the opportunity to top the ICC ODI rankings.
If Pakistan manages to get the upper hand on the Kiwis in the fourth ODI as well they will dethrone Australia and take up the top spot in ODI rankings. Australia will drop to number 2 and Team India will fall to number three.
Pakistan were fifth in the ODI rankings prior to the series against NZ with a rating of 106. However, now PAK have leaped to the third Sspot with a phenomenal exhibition at home. Meanwhile, New Zealand has fallen to fifth place from the second.
Currently, Pakistan is on the third spot with a rating of 112, Pakistan are just behind Australia (113.286) and India (112.638). If Babar Azam and company win the fourth ODI today, they will go to the top with a rating of 113.483, with Australia dropping to No.2 and India to No.3.
Although to stay on top, Pakistan should guarantee a decisive victory, winning the fifth and last ODI on Sunday, 7 May. A loss in the fifth ODI will see them slipping back to No.3 and Australia recovering their No.1 spot in the rankings.
Pakistan will stay on top on the off chance that they win the fourth ODI and the fifth match is a no-result.
Pakistan: Fakhar Zaman, Imam-ul-Haq, Babar Azam(c), Abdullah Shafique, Mohammad Rizwan(w), Shadab Khan, Agha Salman, Mohammad Nawaz, Shaheen Afridi, Mohammad Wasim Jr, Naseem Shah, Shan Masood, Iftikhar Ahmed, Usama Mir, Haris Rauf, Ihsanullah
New Zealand: Will Young, Tom Blundell(w), Daryl Mitchell, Tom Latham(c), Mark Chapman, Henry Nicholls, Cole McConchie, Adam Milne, Henry Shipley, Ish Sodhi, Matt Henry, Chad Bowes, James Neesham, Blair Tickner, Rachin Ravindra, Ben Lister
