Pakistan lost to New Zealand by 47 runs in the fifth and final ODI, which led to them being pushed from the top to the third spot in the ICC ODI Team Rankings, just two days after becoming number one.
Earlier, the Men in Green climbed up to the first spot in the ODI rankings for the first time in their history as they stormed to an unassailable 4-0 lead against the Kiwis. They needed to win the final ODI to retain their top ranking.
New Zealand displayed magnificent cricket in the final ODI as they scored 299 runs, courtesy of fine half-centuries by Will Young and Tom Latham. Shaheen Shah Afridi picked up three wickets and the wrist-spin duo of Usama Mir and Shadab Khan picked up two wickets each for Pakistan.
The BlackCaps were sensational in their bowling display as they troubled the Pakistani batters throughout the innings. However, Iftikhar Ahmed’s career-best unbeaten 94 runs and Salman Ali Agha’s third half-century saved Pakistan from a disastrous performance.
Captain Babar Azam’s 100th ODI match turned out to be a forgettable one as he was dismissed for only one run.
Despite the defeat, Pakistan won the series 4-1 against New Zealand. The partnership between Iftikhar and Salman demonstrated the team’s capacity and ability to resolve Pakistan’s middle-order batting problems.
Here are the latest rankings:
Rank Team Rating Points
1 Australia 113
2 India 113
3 Pakistan 112
4 England 111
5 New Zealand 108
6 South Africa 101
7 Bangladesh 95
8 Sri Lanka 86
9 West Indies 72
10 Afghanistan 71
Source: Pro Pakistani