Pakistan selector Aaqib Javed has stressed the importance of maintaining a strong ODI ranking as the team prepares for the 2027 ODI World Cup. Javed warned that poor performance in bilateral series could push teams into the qualifying stage, adding that consistent results over the next two years were important.
Under the leadership of Shaheen Afridi, Pakistan strengthened its World Cup preparations with a 2-1 ODI series win over Australia.. In the third and final ODI in Lahore, the Men in Green bowled out the visitors for 157 in 42 overs and reached 161/6 in 41.5 overs, chasing the target with four wickets to spare.
Bilateral series will decide where you stand: Aaqib Javed’s World Cup warning
Aaqib Javed said that the team’s ODI ranking should be strong before the 2027 World Cup. The Pakistan selector said automatic qualification should be the team’s main focus and warned that poor results in bilateral series could lead to a significant drop in the rankings.
“There is still one and a half years left for the World Cup, but people forget that. In the last World Cup, Sri Lanka and West Indies had to go through the qualifying round. It is important to remain in the top six through your bilateral performance because if you slip, the other team can play well and overtake you. The bilateral series decides where you stand,” Aaqib Javed.
The team should focus on that preparation from October: Aaqib Javed
Aaqib Javed said that Pakistan should start preparing for South African conditions closer to the World Cup. The selector believes that the team’s immediate priority is to achieve a strong position in the ODI rankings before turning its focus to position-based planning.
“If we start thinking about preparing to play in South Africa a year and a half ago, it will start making sense as soon as this season ends and we reach Sri Lanka in October. By then, you should be in a position where you should not be afraid of falling out of the top six. From October, the team should focus on that kind of preparation.”
Sri Lanka and West Indies missed automatic qualification for the 2023 ODI World Cup and were forced to compete in the qualifying tournament. Their struggles have highlighted the importance of remaining among the top-ranked teams and avoiding the risk of missing out on direct entry into a major ICC event.
Pakistan still in search of first ODI World Cup semi-final since 2011
Pakistan’s most recent ODI World Cup semi-final appearance came in 2011, when they reached the last four of the tournament hosted by India, Sri Lanka and Bangladesh. Since then, the team has been unable to make another semi-final.
During the 2015 World Cup in Australia and New Zealand, Pakistan’s campaign ended after losing to eventual champions Australia in the quarter-finals. In 2019, Pakistan missed out on a place in the semi-finals to New Zealand on net run rate despite finishing the league stage level on points.
This trend continued in the 2023 World Cup in India. Pakistan finished fifth in the league table with four wins and five losses and missed out on a place in the knockout stage.
