Pakistan defeated New Zealand by a comfortable margin of 5 wickets as they completed the 289-run chase with 9 balls remaining. Their 500th ODI victory came with this triumph. In their 949th ODI match, Pakistan became the third side after Australia and India to surpass the 500-win milestone.
Australia tops the list with 594 victories, followed by India with 539. The feat was accomplished following Pakistan’s ODI debut in February 1973 and their first victory in the format against England in their second ODI outing at Nottingham in August 1974.
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Daryl Mitchell’s magnificent 113 and Will Young’s fast 86, together with New Zealand’s competitive total of 288/7, forced Pakistan to strive for their 500th ODI victory.
In the opening innings for Pakistan, Fakhar Zaman and Imam-ul-Haq laid a strong platform.
As the pair began the chase with a 124-run stand for the first wicket, the 33-year-old Zaman would go on to steal the show with a fine 117 from 114 balls, while Imam for 60.
While Mohammad Rizwan, a batting mainstay, chipped in with a 34-ball 42* to help his side finish the chase in 48.3 overs, captain Babar Azam also made significant contributions with crucial runs before falling just one short of his half-century.
Both Pakistan and New Zealand have qualified directly for the ICC Men’s Cricket World Cup 2023, which will take place in India in October and November.
The ICC Men’s Cricket World Cup Super League team of Tom Latham has performed admirably, presently leading the rankings with 16 victories out of 24 games. With 13 victories in 21 games, Pakistan is fifth in the standings.
