Pakistan’s head coach acknowledges that his team isn’t the best in the world, saying, “ICC rankings are skewed because we don’t play in India.” The ICC ODI rankings have been a game of hide-and-seek for Pakistan for a while now. Prior to the commencement of their home series against New Zealand in April of this year, they were rated fifth; however, after winning four straight matches, they surged to the top of the ODI rankings for the first time since the rankings were formally acknowledged by the ICC in 2005.
After New Zealand won the fifth and final ODI, their stay was short-lived. But after winning the Asia Cup with a strong start, Pakistan was back on top. However, from that point on, the Babar Azam-led side’s fortunes declined.
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Pakistan, who was favored to win the Asia Cup, was unable to get past the semifinals. They were questioned about their chances of competing in the 2023 World Cup in addition to losing their top status.
The doubts turned out to be valid. Pakistan is just one loss away from being eliminated from the tournament after dropping their last four games. They will still need to consider the outcomes of other games in order to have a chance of making it to the semi-finals, even if they win their final three games.
Because they don’t get to play nations like India in their own backyard, the former off-spinner for New Zealand claimed that Pakistan has yet to establish themselves as the greatest team in the world. “We may be considered favorites because we were ranked number five in April and just rose to the top before to the competition. We’re practical, though. We haven’t yet proven to be the best in the world, which emphasizes our current standing in the competition.
There is no divine right for us to win this competition. We need to play excellent cricket and integrate all three aspects of our game. We want so badly to make our country happy. We have a burning desire to elevate this cricket squad to national prominence. Four losses do not define who we are as players, coaches, or a club. We are also realistic in the knowledge that we haven’t performed at our best in the last four games,” he continued.
