Pakistan’s cricket superstar Babar Azam has propelled his team to the top of the International Cricket Council’s (ICC) One Day International (ODI) rankings, after his stunning century helped Pakistan to a comprehensive 102-run victory over New Zealand on Friday. This latest win marked Pakistan’s fourth consecutive victory in the series and saw them replace Australia as the top-ranked team in the world.
Babar’s century, his 18th in ODI cricket, proved to be the difference as Pakistan set a challenging total of 334-6. He scored 107 off 117 balls, anchoring Pakistan’s innings after the team found themselves at 128-3 in the 25th over. Babar’s fourth-wicket partnership of 117 runs with Agha Salman revived the team’s innings and set the stage for Shaheen Shah Afridi and Mohammad Haris to launch an assault in the final overs.
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New Zealand began their chase well, but they were unable to match Pakistan’s intensity and stumbled to 232 all out, their lowest total of the series. Captain Tom Latham top-scored with 60, but his dismissal triggered a collapse, with the Black Caps losing their last seven wickets for just 48 runs.
Pakistan’s victory was built on the strength of their bowling, with Mohammad Wasim and leg-spinner Usama Mir running through New Zealand’s middle and lower order, taking three and four wickets respectively. With the series already sealed at 3-0, Pakistan made five changes to their team for the fourth ODI, but the new-look side continued to dominate.
Babar’s performance was particularly noteworthy, as he became the fastest player to reach 5,000 ODI runs, taking just 97 innings to achieve the milestone. He surpassed the previous record holder, South Africa’s Hashim Amla, who took 101 innings to reach the same landmark.
Pakistan’s victory will give the team a massive confidence boost ahead of the upcoming ODI World Cup, which is scheduled to be held in October-November. The team’s impressive form and Babar’s leadership have given them a real chance of winning the tournament and cementing their position as one of the best cricketing nations in the world.