“Their C and D team came,” Misbah-ul-Haq claims Pakistan became No. 1 team in ODIs by beating weaker teams of Australia and New Zealand

Misbah pointed out that Pakistan's main team played against the "third tier" players of Australia and New Zealand because the main players of these two teams went to India to participate in the Indian Premier League (IPL).

“Their C and D team came,” Misbah-ul-Haq claims Pakistan became No. 1 team in ODIs by beating weaker teams of Australia and New Zealand

Pakistan team, Misbah-ul-Haq (Images via ESPNcricinfo)

Former Pakistan skipper Misbah-Ul-Haq opined that Pakistan achieved the number-one ranking by beating weak Australian and New Zealand teams. Babar Azam and his men secured an ODI series win (2-1) over the Aussies in 2022 and this year in April, their unassailable 4-0 lead in the ODI series against New Zealand drove them to the top position of ODI team rankings for the first time.

Misbah pointed out that Pakistan’s main team played against the “third tier” players of Australia and New Zealand because the main players of these two teams went to India to participate in the Indian Premier League (IPL). The former Pakistan skipper urged the Pakistani supporters to keep the facts in mind that even though the Aussies and Kiwis sent inexperienced players, they still were able to beat Pakistan.

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“New Zealand and Australia came to Pakistan. They were the top-ranked teams. Their C and D team came. We won against them and our rating points increased. Then West Indies and other teams came and we won against them as well. We became happy by achieving the No. 1 rank, but we should keep actual facts in mind,” the former captain said on a local TV news channel (quoted as saying by Cricket Pakistan).

Former Pakistan pacer Wasim Akram was also a part of the show. He opined that Pakistani fans should celebrate the team’s achievement only if the team is able to remain in the top position for at least six months.

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Michael Atherton makes a bold statement regarding the India-Pakistan match

The two arch-rivals of cricket, India and Pakistan, will face each other for the third time this year when they will lock horns on October 14 at the Narendra Modi Stadium in Ahmedabad. The Men in Green, surprisingly, have never defeated India in the ODI World Cup.

"Their C and D team came," Misbah-ul-Haq claims Pakistan became the No. 1 team in ODIs by beating weaker teams of Australia and New Zealand
India vs Pakistan (Image via X)

Their only victory in any World Cup event came in the 2021 T20 World Cup but in the 50-over tournament, it never happened. Seven times the two rivals faced each other in the prestigious tournaments, with India winning all.

However, Michael Atherton made a bold prediction when he claimed that Pakistan would end up beating India for the first time in an ODI World Cup. Atherton said their encounter in Ahmedabad will be the biggest game of the tournament if the two teams don’t face again in the semifinals or final.

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