These weakened squads were the result of scheduling conflicts, primarily due to players participating in the Indian Premier League (IPL).
"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 No. 1 rank, but we should keep actual facts in mind," said Misbah.
We became no. 1 in ODIs by beating Australia's C team and New Zealand's D team - Misbah ul Haq pic.twitter.com/UafJjZbAuM
— Ghumman (@emclub77) October 5, 2023
While Misbah acknowledges the team's accomplishments, he cautions against becoming overly complacent. He highlights that Australia's "C team" even won a match against Pakistan. Similarly, New Zealand's "D team" posed a formidable challenge.
"Australia’s C team even won one match against us. Then New Zealand’s D team came, as all their main players went for IPL," Misbah added.
Misbah's message is clear: rankings should not be the sole measure of a team's abilities. It's essential to consider the context in which victories are achieved.
While Pakistan's journey to No.1 was commendable, it's crucial to recognize that these successes occurred when top-tier players from Australia and New Zealand were unavailable.
“We need to realistically think where do we stand as our main team is playing and their third tier players are playing, yet they are getting so close to us. Ranking doesn’t matter,” Misbah added further.
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