ONCE the dust had settled on a lopsided contest Pakistan having romped past New Zealand to go to the top of the One-Day International rankings for the first time with captain Babar Azam having set a record it was time to reflect.

Babar, who became the fastest batter to reach 5,000 runs in the format en route to his 18th century, recalled it was exactly nine years ago that he joined the Pakistan camp for the first time.

There had been ups and downs, he said, but the classy batter stood at Karachi`s National Stadium as Pakistan cricket`s biggest superstar and the first captain of the side to lead it to the top of the rankings since their inception in 2005. For a player under intense scrutiny over the past few years each performance being examined not just by the cricketing community but the whole nation, his captaincy questioned at every turn Babar could finally exhale. He had achieved what none of his predecessors did. To stay there, Pakistan need to complete a series whitewash against the Black Caps on Sunday. Already 4-0 up in the series, Pakistan look primed to do so with the tourists` top players missing due to the Indian Premier League.

That should not take anything away from Pakistan or Babar who has been racking up the runs. Prior to his 107, he had scores of 49, 65 and 54 in the first three games of the series. Having runs under his belt as he leads Pakistan at the ODI World Cup later this year is crucial for the team`s chances. For a side that has several match-winners, Babar is the batting mainstay on whom the team depends. It`s time uncertainty over his role as captain ended. He should be supported not just by the board but also the public he needs to thrive further. Above all, he should be given the respect a special player like him deserves.