ICC ODI rankings: Pakistan snatches 4th position from India

DUBAI: Pakistan on Monday clinched the fourth position from India in the latest ICC ODI rankings after completing a clean sweep over West Indies in Multan.

Babar Azam's side jumped a spot to No 4 in the ICC Men's ODI Team Rankings after the series win over West Indies on Sunday.

Before the series started, Pakistan were placed fifth in the rankings with a rating of 102. But the 3-0 clean sweep over the Windies has boosted them to No 4 with a rating of 106, leaving India behind at 105.

The Pakistani team obtained 30 invaluable points in the ODI Super League, a qualification round for next year’s World Cup in India. The 3-0 clean-sweep lifted the team to 90 points, fourth in the 13-team ODI League table while the West Indies are fifth with 80.

Pakistan have enjoyed a brilliant last couple of years in the 50-over format. Apart from the blip against England away from home, they have taken on all comers and emerged victorious, including 2-1 series wins against Zimbabwe and South Africa.

They defeated Australia by the same margin when they came to visit Pakistan for the first time since 1998. West Indies stood no chance against Pakistan as they were rampaged 3-0.

This period of resurgence has come under the captaincy of Babar Azam, who has led by example for Pakistan in all formats of the game. With his recent century in the first match against West Indies, he became the first batter to score three consecutive ODI centuries twice, having previously achieved the feat in 2016 as well.

And with a fifty in the second ODI, he broke the world record for most consecutive 50+ scores (9) in men's international cricket across all formats.