Pakistan jumped above Australia atop the One Day International rankings after whitewashing Afghanistan in the three-match series in Sri Lanka Saturday.
Pakistan made four changes to their playing XI after clinching the series last Thursday in Hambantota but still registered a 59-run victory in Colombo in the third and final ODI.
Mohammad Nawaz, Faheem Ashraf, Mohammad Wasim and Saud Shakeel came into the side in place of Haris Rauf, Naseem Shah, Usama Mir and Iftikhar Ahmed as Pakistan captain Babar Azam elected to bat.
Afghanistan made two changes, replacing Ikram Alikhil and Abdul Rahman with Gulbadin Naib and Fareed Ahmad Malik.
Mohammad Rizwan and Babar hit solid half centuries against some tight Afghanistan bowling to take Pakistan to 268/8.
Rizwan scored a 79-ball 67 with six boundaries and a six while Babar knocked four boundaries and a six in his 86-ball innings of 60 to anchor Pakistan's innings.
The Rizwan-Babar pair added 110 runs for the third wicket to steady the innings after pacer Gulbadin removed openers Fakhar Zaman (27) and Imam-ul-Haq (13) to hit Pakistan at the start.
Pakistan stuttered in the middle overs with four wickets lost in the space of just 27 runs, including Babar who scored his 28th half century.
Shakeel was run out for nine and Shadab Khan departed for just three as Pakistan were left struggling at 189/6.
Agha Salman (38 not out) and Nawaz (30) added 61 for the seventh wicket as Pakistan added 80 in the last 10 overs.
Salman hit four boundaries and a six in his 31-ball knock.
Naib was the pick of Afghanistan bowlers with 2/36.
In reply, the Afghans were all out for 209 in 48.4 overs with Mujeeb Ur Rahman’s quickfire 37-ball 64, featuring five fours and as many sixes, only reducing the margin of defeat.
Shadab bagged three wickets for the winning side while Shaheen Shah Afridi, Faheem and Nawaz picked up two each.
The two teams will now turn their attention to the upcoming ODI Asia Cup 2023 where co-hosts Pakistan take on Nepal in Multan in the tournament opener this Wednesday.
Afghanistan will face Bangladesh in Lahore in their opening Group B game on September 3.
India and co-hosts Sri Lanka are the other sides of Group A and B respectively.
3RD ODI
Pakistan 268/8 (Rizwan 67, Babar 60) beat Afghanistan 209 in 48.4 overs (Mujeeb 67, Shadab 3/42) by 59 runs