Babar Azam Reacts As Pakistan Top ODI Rankings Ahead Of Asia Cup 2023
Pakistan players celebrate win over Afghanistan (Twitter)
Pakistan romped to a 59-run victory in the third ODI over Afghanistan in Colombo to complete a 3-0 sweep. The win also took Pakistan to the top of the ICC ODI Rankings, as they displaced Australia from the number one spot.
After leading his team to a clean sweep against Afghanistan, the ‘Men in Green’ skipper Babar Azam said that the win would give them much confidence going into the upcoming 2023 Asia Cup in Sri Lanka and Pakistan. The batting veteran also reacted to his team’s newfound top ODI ranking achievement, and praised his entire squad and support staff for putting in the hard yards.
‘Excited going into Asia Cup 2023…’ says Babar
Under Babar Azam, Pakistan triumphed over Afghanistan by 142 and 59 runs in the first and third ODIs of their recently-concluded series. The second game ended up being a closely-fought one, where Azam’s troops eventually prevailed with a ball and a wicket to spare.
The skipper praised the quality of his side’s series win, and was hopeful of carrying the momentum into the upcoming continental event as well. Speaking with the PCB Digital, Babar Azam said:
“We are excited going into the Asia Cup. The manner of our series victory over Afghanistan will serve us well in the tournament. The momentum we gained in this series will give us confidence in the Asia Cup. We are hopeful of producing good cricket for our fans.”
The legendary batter also acknowledged his team’s number one ODI rankings, and credited the entire squad and support staff for the achievement. He added:
“When you achieve the number 1 position, it gives you a lot of joy and satisfaction. This is the result of the efforts that the entire squad, including the support staff, put in. We were on top of the ODI rankings earlier but dropped to Number 2 after losing a game.”
Babar Azam will now marshal his Pakistani troops in a Group A Asia Cup 2023 game against Nepal on August 30. The match will be played out at the Multan Cricket Stadium. They will then return to Kandy to face arch-rivals India on September 2 to conclude their group stage of the competition.
The upcoming Asia Cup 2023 serves as an all-important testing ground for all competing teams, as it will soon be followed by the 2023 World Cup in India later this year.
 "Aakash Saini")
