Pakistan aim to overtake Bangladesh in ICC ODI rankings

Underdogs Pakistan came into the ICC Champions Trophy ranked 8th, but after a shocking turn of events in the tournament, they find themselves in the final. Pakistan were pooled with India, Sri Lanka and South Africa in Group B. After they were thrashed by defending champions India in their opening game of the Champions Trophy 2017, most expected them to bow out of the tournament following the league stage.

However, Pakistan pulled up their socks and defeated South Africa convincingly in their second game. They suffered a major scare against Sri Lanka in what was a virtual quarter-final, but captain Sarfraz Ahmed bailed his team out with a fighting knock. Pakistan got to the semis by the skin of their teeth.

Since they were up against hosts England in the first semi-final, most experts did not give them a chance against the robust English side, who had come into the semis undefeated. However, Pakistan’s shocking victory meant England crashed out of the tournament and they qualified for their first ever final in the ICC Champions Trophy.

Chance for Pakistan to leapfrog Bangladesh

As far as the rankings are concerned, they have already made improvements. The Green Shirts jumped up by one spot after having made it to the semis, and are currently at the 7th position in the ODI rankings. However, they have an opportunity to make things even prettier if they can script a fairy-tale end to their Champions Trophy campaign.

The Oval will witness an epic Indo-Pak final on Sunday, and the Pakistani team will have a chance to snatch the coveted piece of silverware away from their arch-rivals India. If they do so, Pakistan will leapfrog Bangladesh and come up to rank 6 in the ODI rankings. Furthermore, they will also cement their place for the 2019 World Cup, which means they will not have to toil through the qualifier rounds.

The stakes are certainly high for the Green Shirts. They not only have an opportunity to lift the Champions Trophy for the first time, but they can also rescue Pakistani cricket to a certain extent by climbing up the rankings.