Pakistan’s head coach, Grant Bradburn, has raised concerns about the validity of ICC rankings, asserting that they are “skewed” due to his team’s limited opportunities to play in India.
In a recent statement, Bradburn acknowledged that despite briefly holding the top spot in the ICC ODI rankings earlier this year, Pakistan‘s current struggles in the World Cup reflect their true standing. He emphasized the impact of not facing top-tier teams like India on their journey to becoming the best in the world.
“We were fifth in April, and briefly became number one before the tournament maybe that’s why some call us favourites. But let’s be real, we’re not the best yet. Our position in this tournament reflects that. No special right to beat anyone, we must play well in all aspects. Desperate to bring joy and pride to our nation, we admit we haven’t performed perfectly in the last four games. Four losses don’t define us as players, coaches, or a team,” he said.
Acknowledging their disappointing performance in the Asia Cup and the ongoing World Cup, Bradburn emphasized the need for Pakistan to play quality cricket and unite all three departments of their game to bring pride to the nation.
Currently facing the risk of elimination from the World Cup, Bradburn outlined the team’s desperate need to win their remaining three matches against Bangladesh, New Zealand, and England.
“We’re in an undesired position. We aimed to control our destiny at this tournament stage, but we’re not there. It’s painful for the group. Now, we focus on what we can control—preparing well for the three remaining pool games. We hope fate leans in our favour for the semi-finals,” he concluded.