Babar Azam eyes Asia Cup, World Cup glory after leading ODI rankings

Pakistan’s all-format captain Babar Azam said on Tuesday that the job was not done yet for the top-ranked ODI side as they aim to win the upcoming ACC Men’s Asia Cup 2023 and ICC Men’s World Cup in India.

Pakistan topped the ICC rankings for ODI teams on Saturday after securing a 3-0 whitewash over Afghanistan in Sri Lanka. They also boast the best win/loss ratio of 2.750, with 22 wins in 31 matches since this World Cup cycle.

Reflecting on the journey, Babar said he did not feel any added pressure from being the top-ranked ODI team.

He said that the team had put in a lot of hard work and effort over the past few years and that their achievement of the top spot is a testament to that.

Babar also said that every player in the team was eager to win matches for their country and that they were always ready to put in the hard yards.

Babar-led Pakistan will take on Nepal in the Asia Cup 2023 opener. They will enter the mega tournament with momentum on their side.

“The team has had some amazing results in recent months, and we are now looking to build on that momentum,” he concluded.

Pakistan last played in Multan in June last year, and the home side enjoyed resounding success over the West Indies by thrashing them 3-0 in the three-match series. The team has played 10 ODIs here and won seven.

“It is always a great feeling to play in front of the passionate Multan crowd, and we all are very excited that the Asia Cup is beginning from this city,” Pakistan captain Babar Azam said on the eve of the contest.

“I want to congratulate Nepal for qualifying for the Asia Cup and I hope that their participation will give a boost to the development of the sport in the country. We are looking forward to playing Nepal and I am sure it will be a good contest,” he added.

Pakistan will fly to Sri Lanka on 31 August to play India in the second Group-A match on 2 September at Kandy. The venue will also host the third and final match of the group between India and Nepal on 4 September.

Pakistan squad for Asia Cup 2023

Babar Azam (captain), Shadab Khan (vice-captain), Abdullah Shafique, Faheem Ashraf, Fakhar Zaman, Haris Rauf, Iftikhar Ahmed, Imam-ul-Haq, Mohammad Haris (wk), Mohammad Nawaz, Mohammad Rizwan (wk), Mohammad Wasim Jnr, Naseem Shah, Salman Ali Agha, Saud Shakeel, Shaheen Afridi and Usama Mir.