The MRF Tyres ICC Men’s ODI Team Rankings place Pakistan in striking reach of first place after they jumped out to an unstoppable 3-0 lead in the five-match series against New Zealand.
Pakistan has dominated the series, chasing difficult totals in the first two ODIs and then defending a comparable goal in the third match.
After deciding to bowl in the first ODI, Pakistan was given a difficult 289-run mark, which they easily chased down thanks to Fakhar Zaman’s century and valuable contributions from Imam-ul-Haq and Babar Azam.
In the following game, they faced the impossible goal of catching up to 337, but the unflappable Fakhar was back with another enormous hundred, this time with the help of Babar and Mohammad Rizwan.
Pakistan’s top order, which has been their strength, once again performed admirably in the third game, scoring 287/6 in Karachi and defending the total by dismissing the visitors for 261 in less than 50 overs.
With a rating of 106 prior to the commencement of the series, Pakistan was ranked fifth in the ODI rankings; but, after a stellar performance at home, they have now climbed to third. New Zealand, which was ranked second at one point, is now in fifth place.
Pakistan is now ranked third with a rating of 112, just edging out Australia (113.286) and India (112.638). If they win the 4th ODI, they will take the top spot with a score of 113.483, which will see Australia move to No. two and India to No. three.
Men’s ODI Team Rankings
| POS | TEAM | MATCHES | POINTS | RATING |
| 1 | Australia | 35 | 3965 | 113 |
| 2 | India | 47 | 5294 | 113 |
| 3 | Pakistan | 30 | 3348 | 112 |
| 4 | England | 36 | 3988 | 111 |
| 5 | New Zealand | 36 | 3903 | 108 |
| 6 | South Africa | 31 | 3141 | 101 |
| 7 | Bangladesh | 38 | 3625 | 95 |
| 8 | Sri Lanka | 36 | 3099 | 86 |
| 9 | West Indies | 43 | 3105 | 72 |
| 10 | Afghanistan | 20 | 1419 | 71 |
| 11 | Ireland | 27 | 1384 | 51 |
| 12 | Scotland | 35 | 1567 | 45 |
| 13 | Zimbabwe | 31 | 1351 | 44 |
| 14 | Nepal | 42 | 1394 | 33 |
| 15 | Netherlands | 26 | 791 | 30 |
| 16 | United States | 36 | 1093 | 30 |
| 17 | Namibia | 37 | 1096 | 30 |
| 18 | Oman | 32 | 874 | 27 |
| 19 | UAE | 42 | 1025 | 24 |
| 20 | Papua New Guinea | 43 | 80 | 2 |
To maintain their lead, Pakistan must win the fifth and final ODI on May 7 in order to complete a sweep. If they lose the last ODI, Australia would regain the top spot, sending them back down to No. 3.
Pakistan will also continue to be in first place if they win the fourth ODI and the fifth game is called off or ends in a tie.
With three consecutive defeats, New Zealand’s chances have diminished and they are no longer in contention for first place. If the Black Caps can manage to win their final two ODIs, they can move up to No. 3 from their current position of No. 5 with a rating of 108.
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