Captain Babar Azam reacts after Pakistan reached number one in ICC ODI rankings
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Babar Azam said that he is hopeful that his team will show good cricket in the upcoming Asia Cup. Pakistan on Saturday registered a comfortable 59-run victory over their neighbors Sri Lanka at the R Premadasa Stadium, completing the three-match series white wash.
Talking to media persons after taking his team to the top of the ODI rankings, the Pakistan captain stressed on the current atmosphere in the dressing room, saying that the momentum they have achieved during the series whitewash against Afghanistan will help them win the Asia Cup. I will stand in good condition.
Babar said on PCB Digital that we are excited about the Asia Cup. The way we have won the series against Afghanistan, it will give us advantage in the tournament. It was not as easy against Afghanistan as some people think. Everyone is aware of his spin ability.
Babar further said that the victory in this series will give us confidence in the Asia Cup. We are hopeful that we will be able to create good cricket for our fans. Following their 3–0 series win, Pakistan overtook Australia to top the ICC ODI rankings.
Talking on this, Babar said, ‘When you achieve the number one position, it gives you immense happiness and satisfaction. It is the result of the efforts put in by the entire team including the support staff. We were on top of the ODI rankings earlier but then dropped to No.2 after losing a game.
Pakistan had already taken an unassailable lead in the series against Afghanistan, winning the first two matches in contrasting fashion. The third match was crucial for the Babar Azam-led side as they were just a stone’s throw away from Australia in the ODI rankings. He won the first ODI by 142 runs on the basis of excellent bowling performance.
The second game was a nail-biter, in which the Men in Green won the last over with the last pair standing. In the third ODI, Afghanistan had to face defeat by 59 runs. Despite faltering with the bat in the middle overs, Pakistan put on a strong performance posting a challenging total of 268 on a slow pitch.
Mohammad Rizwan and Babar Azam took Pakistan to a fightable score with half-centuries. In response, Afghanistan’s team faltered in the beginning and all-rounder Faheem Ashraf took two wickets. Thereafter, the spinner struck at regular intervals to dent Afghanistan’s chances.
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