Pakistan claim No. 1 ODI team rank after dominant 3-0 series win against Afghanistan en route to Asia Cup

Pakistan have claimed the No. 1 spot in the ICC ODI team rankings after a flawless performance against Afghanistan in the three-match series. A 59-run win in the third ODI saw Pakistan clinch the series 3-0 and saw them take the top rank. The win also builds momentum for the Asia Cup co-hosts with less than a week to go for the showpiece event to start. Mohammad Rizwan and Babar Azam were the architects of the win as they both scored fifties for the side.

Pakistan clinch top spot

Needing a win to clinch the top spot in the ICC rankings, Babar’s army put up 268/8 on the board as they put in a flawless show at the R. Premadasa Stadium in Colombo on Saturday, August 26. Babar (60) and Rizwan (67) laid the foundation for the win as Afghanistan tried to stop them. Fareed Ahmad and Gulbadin Naib both scalped two wickets each while Rashid Khan scalped one.

For Pakistan, Agha Salman (38) and Mohammad Nawaz (30) played useful knocks and helped steer the team beyond the 250-run mark. Fakhar Zaman (27) and Imam-ul-Haq (13) put in an opening stand of 36 runs before the former was dismissed. Interestingly, Babar and Rizwan put in 110 runs for the third wicket and steadied the Pakistan ship to help them reach 268/8.

What happened in Afghanistan’s innings?

In reply, there was no repeat of Rahmanullah Gurbaz’s heroics from the last match as he departed for 5 in the sixth over. In next to no time, Afghanistan were 75/6 and looked on course for another humiliating defeat having been bowled out for 58 in the first ODI. They lost wickets at regular intervals and handed the initiative to the Men in Green.

However, Mujeeb Ur Rahman avoided the blemish of humiliation as he built a 57-run stand with Shahidullah Kamal (37) for the eighth wicket before being out hit wicket to Shaheen Shah Afridi on 64. The Afghanistan tail then did not last for long and werebowled out for 209, handing Pakistan the top spot in the ICC ODI rankings. The 59-run win also saw them pocket the series 3-0.

Pakistan will next take the field in the curtain-raiser of the Asia Cup on Wednesday, August 30 against Nepal in Multan. They will then face India in Sri Lanka in the second league match in Pallekele on Saturday, September 2. Afghanistan will start their Asia Cup journey against Bangladesh on Sunday, September 3 in Lahore.

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