Pakistan’s cricket team suffered a 0-2 defeat in the two-match home Test series against Bangladesh. In the second Test played in Rawalpindi, Pakistan lost to the visiting team by four wickets. This marks Bangladesh’s first-ever Test series win against Pakistan. This home defeat will sting the Pakistani players for a long time.
Difficult Equation for Pakistan
With this loss, Pakistan has taken a hit in the World Test Championship (WTC) points table. Their points percentage has now dropped to 19.05%. With only 16 points from 7 matches, including two wins and five losses, Pakistan has a tough road ahead. They have seven matches remaining in the current WTC cycle: three home Tests against England, two against the West Indies, and two against South Africa. To finish in the top 2, Pakistan must win all these seven matches, which is a challenging task.
On the other hand, Bangladesh’s impressive Test series win has propelled them to the fourth position in the table. With 33 points from 6 matches, their points percentage is 45.83%. India currently tops the WTC table.
India’s Position
India has accumulated 74 points from 9 matches, with six wins, two losses, and one draw, giving them a points percentage of 68.52%. India will tour Australia for five Tests in November. Before that, they will play two home Tests against Bangladesh and three against New Zealand. If India wins five out of these 10 Tests, their spot in the final will almost be secured.
Current WTC Standings
Australia is in second place with 90 points from 12 matches, including 8 wins, 3 losses, and 1 draw, resulting in a points percentage of 62.50%. New Zealand is third with 36 points from 6 matches, featuring 3 wins and 3 losses, giving them a points percentage of 50.00%. Bangladesh follows in fourth place, with England fifth, and South Africa sixth. Sri Lanka is seventh, Pakistan eighth, and the West Indies ninth, meaning Pakistan is just ahead of the West Indies in the table.
The third cycle of the World Test Championship runs from 2023 to 2025. The ICC has released the points system rules for this cycle, where teams earn 12 points for a win, 4 points for a draw, and 6 points for a tie. Teams are awarded 100% of points for a win, 50% for a tie, 33.33% for a draw, and 0% for a loss. A two-match series offers a total of 24 points, while a five-match series provides 60 points. Rankings are primarily determined by the percentage of points won.