Wasim Akram and Misbah-ul-Haq, two former cricketers from Pakistan, have cast doubt on the significance of their country’s recent rise to the top of the ICC Men’s ODI team rankings. They argue that Pakistan achieved this position by playing against weakened opposition, and therefore it should not be considered a true reflection of their team’s current standing.
In May 2023, Pakistan reached the No.1 spot in the ICC ODI team rankings for the first time in their history, following a series win against New Zealand. However, they did not perform well in the Asia Cup last month, where they suffered defeats to both India and Sri Lanka. Despite this, they managed to reclaim the top position in the rankings.
Despite their ranking, Akram and Misbah have expressed skepticism over its significance. They believe that Pakistan’s ascent to No.1 was primarily due to facing teams of lower quality, which they describe as “C and D teams”. They argue that this should not be the main measure of the team’s current level of performance.
During a discussion on A Sports, Akram questioned the importance of these ratings and seemed to suggest that they do not accurately represent a team’s true abilities. He implied that the rankings may be inflated due to the lower quality of the opponents faced by Pakistan.
Akram’s sentiments were echoed by Misbah, who cautioned against putting too much stock in the recent climb in rankings. He emphasized that it is crucial to consider the quality of opposition a team faces in order to accurately assess their position.
As the World Cup approaches, Pakistan finds itself ranked as the fourth-best ODI team. They are behind India, England, and New Zealand. This suggests that while their ranking may have been inflated, they are still regarded as one of the top teams in the world.
It is worth noting that Akram and Misbah’s views are not shared by everyone in the cricketing world. There are those who believe that the rankings provide an accurate reflection of a team’s performance and should not be dismissed.
Ultimately, the true test of Pakistan’s abilities will come in the upcoming World Cup. It will provide an opportunity for them to prove their critics wrong and show that they deserve their place among the top teams in the world. Only time will tell whether Pakistan’s recent rise to the top of the rankings was a true reflection of their abilities or merely a result of facing weaker opposition.
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