Pakistan’s captain Babar Azam believes his team’s dominant performance in the one-day series against New Zealand has put them in a good position for the upcoming World Cup, despite doubts over their participation due to tensions with host country India. Pakistan beat a depleted New Zealand 4-1 in the five-match series, briefly reaching the top of the one-day rankings for the first time. They scored 337 in the second match, their second-highest successful chase in one-day internationals (ODIs). Azam became the fastest player to 5,000 ODI runs en route to his 18th century in the format, while opener Fakhar Zaman hit hundreds in three successive ODIs. There are uncertainties about Pakistan’s participation in the World Cup, but Azam said, “wherever we get a chance to play, we will play.” The stand-off started last year when India announced it would not send a team to Pakistan for the Asia Cup in September. In response, the Pakistan Cricket Board has threatened to pull out of the World Cup. Despite that, Azam refused to accept that New Zealand were an easy team to beat and said, “We played better and dominated.”

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