New Zealand salvaged some pride and avoided an embarrassing whitewash as they defeated Pakistan by 47 runs at the National Stadium in Karachi on May 7 (Sunday). As a result, the Black Caps ended the Pakistan tour with a victory but the Men in Green secured the trophy by winning the ODI series by a commanding margin of 4-1. The defeat came as a blow to Babar Azam's men as they lost the No.1 spot in the ICC ODI Rankings. Australia (113 points) and India (113 points) are above Pakistan (112 points) in the ICC ODI Rankings.
Babar Azam-led Pakistan scripted history as they became World no.1 in the ODI rankings for the first time ever after thrashing New Zealand by 102 runs in the fourth ODI in Karachi on Friday (May 5).
Before the series against New Zealand kicked off, Pakistan were placed no.5 in the ODI rankings with a rating of 106. However, the stunning back-to-back victories against New Zealand earned them 113.483 points as they dethroned Australia from the top spot. Pakistan also left their arch-rivals India (112.638) behind in the standings.
However, to remain on top, Pakistan needed to ensure a clean sweep of the Black Caps but the Men in Green faltered on the last hurdle.
Talking about the 5th ODI between Pakistan and New Zealand, chasing a target of 300 runs, the Men in Green's top order crumbled like a pack of cards. Opener Fakhar Zaman scored 33 runs off 64 balls while Shan Masood (seven runs off 20 balls), captain Babar (one run off five balls) and wicketkeeper-batter Mohammad Rizwan (nine runs off 15 balls) failed to even reach double figures, Tottering at 66/4, the Men in Green needed a solid partnership to make a comeback into the game.
Agha Salman and Iftikhar Ahmed stitched a 97-run partnership for the fifth wicket and dragged the hosts back into the tie. Once Salman departed after scoring a run-a-ball 57 runs, Pakistan's lower order failed to stick around as Iftikhar Ahmed remained stranded on 94 runs off 72 balls. The muscular right-handed batter smashed eight fours and two sixes during his fantastic knock. The lack of contribution from other batters meant that Pakistan could only manage a score of 252/10 in 46.1 overs.
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