Pak Vs Afg 2023 – Pakistan Can Be The Top-Ranked ODI Team
Pak Vs Afg 2023:
The Men In Green have a chance to be the top-ranked ODI team again as they are scheduled to play a 3-match ODI series against Afghanistan.
Pakistan cricket team currently holds the second spot in the ICC ODI Team Rankings, they are just two points behind Australia and there is a chance that Pakistan can cross Australia to be the top-ranked ODI team if they complete a clean sweep against Afghanistan in the 3-match ODI series in Srilanka.
Pakistan was ranked as the #1 ODI team under the captaincy of Babar Azam for the first time in the five-match ODI series against New Zealand but it was just for 48 hours. Pakistan was ranked the #1 ODI team and was on the verge of sweeping New Zealand as they were 4-0 down, but a loss in the fifth ODI match of the series resulted in losing some points in the ICC ODI Rankings.
There is a huge chance for the Pakistan team to be the #1 ranked ODI team in the ICC Rankings and if Pakistan is able to do that, they will enter the Asia Cup 2023, and might possibly they can start their World Cup campaign as the #1 ranked ODI team as well.
This has never happened before that the Pakistan team will be playing a Cricket World Cup as the top-ranked ODI team and the top-ranked ODI batsman in the ICC Rankings will be from their side as well. As Babar Azam is currently the top-ranked ODI batsman, and it’s pretty sure that he will be playing this World Cup 2023 as the #1 ranked ODI batsman.
Pakistan and Afghanistan have a pretty strong rivalry as well and it will not be an easy task to beat Afghanistan in Srilankan conditions. Afghanistan recently thrashed a young Pakistan team 2-1 in a T20I series in the UAE.
Australia is currently the #1 ranked ODI team with 118 rating points and Pakistan is the second on the list with 116 ratings, followed by India with 115 rating points.
PAK VS AFG 2023 SERIES SQUAD:
| BABAR AZAM © | FAKHAR ZAMAN |
| IMAM UL HAQ | ABDULLAH SHAFIQUE |
| MUHAMMAD RIZWAN | SALMAN ALI AGHA |
| IFTIKHAR AHMED | SAUD SHAKEEL |
| FAHEEM ASHRAF | TAYYAB TAHIR |
| SHADAB KHAN | HARIS RAUF |
| NASEEM SHAH | MUHAMMAD HARIS |
| MUHAMMAD NAWAZ | SHAHEEN SHAH AFRIDI |
| USAMA MIR | MUHAMMAD WASEEM JNR |
PAK VS AFG 2023 SERIES SCHEDULE:
| FIRST ODI MATCH | 22 AUGUST, 2023 | HAMBANTOTA |
| SECOND ODI MATCH | 24 AUGUST, 2023 | HAMBANTOTA |
| THIRD ODI MATCH | 26 AUGUST, 2023 | COLOMBO |
The three-match ODI series against Afghanistan is scheduled to be played in Srilanka. The dates of the series are announced and the first match is scheduled to be played on 22 AUGUST, 2023, followed by the second match on 24 AUGUST, 2023, and the third match will be played on 26 AUGUST, 2023.
