Pakistan secured a 102-run victory against New Zealand in Karachi on Friday, extending their lead to 4-0 in the ongoing five-match ODI series.
Pakistan’s win over New Zealand in the fourth ODI has propelled them to the top of the ODI team rankings for the first time since the ICC officially introduced the rankings in January 2005. This is a significant improvement from their previous best ranking of number three, achieved back in January 2007.
On Friday, Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif congratulated the Pakistan cricket team on securing the top spot in the ICC rankings by defeating New Zealand in the fourth One Day International match.
Prior to the start of the series, Pakistan had a rating of 106, placing them fifth on the ODI rankings. Following their victory in the fourth ODI, their rating has increased to 113.483, surpassing both Australia (113.286) and India (112.638) to claim the number one spot in the rankings.
To maintain their top spot in the ODI rankings, Pakistan will need to secure a clean sweep by winning the fifth and final ODI on Sunday, 7 May. Failing to do so will result in them slipping to number three and Australia reclaiming the top spot.
In addition to winning the fifth ODI, Pakistan can also retain its top spot in the ODI rankings if they win the fourth ODI and the fifth match is either abandoned or declared a no-result.
