Can Pakistan Still Qualify For The World Test Championship 2025 Final? 

This article discusses Pakistan’s chances of making it to the 2025 World Test Championship final.

Advertisement

World Test Championship: Pakistan‘s poor performance in the first match of the two-match Test series against Bangladesh in Rawalpindi has come under fire from the cricket fraternity and fans. In this match, Pakistan lost their first match out of 14 encounters against their friends. 

Moreover, Pakistan and Bangladesh lost World Test Championship (WTC) points due to their consistent overspeeding during the opening encounter. This development has added pressure on the home team, which was already under pressure after the crushing 10-wicket defeat. 

Currently, Pakistan is eighth in the World Test Championship standings, having won only one out of the six Tests played. They have a point percentage of 22.22, and they are at risk of missing out on some of the World Test Championship 2025 finalists. However, they still have eight matches left—six at home and two in South Africa. 

Advertisement

Let’s look at the scenario to see if Pakistan have a fair chance of qualifying for the WTC Final. 

Pakistan has to prove itself in home conditions; otherwise, it’s all played and dusted. Pakistan have disappointed with their purple-ball performances at home in recent years. Their last series win came against South Africa in February 2021. Since then, they have lost 0-1 to Australia, 0-3 to England and drawn 0-0 against New Zealand. 

Despite the presence of a talented group of spinners, Pakistan have not been able to win on the edges, which the subcontinent’s pitches are known to war on. Moreover, the batsmen could not join in the celebrations either, as some of the spinners in the competition have had the edge over them on most occasions. In the recent game against Bangladesh, they were all out for a paltry 146, with the spinners doing most of the damage. 

Looking ahead, Pakistan’s batsmen have a chance to right the wrongs in the second Test, as they look to build their confidence and momentum. 

The English team, which will tour Pakistan in October, will bring with them a formidable bowling attack, all of whom are in good shape. Moreover, the aggressive intent of their batsmen must be effectively negated by Pakistan’s bowling attack early in the innings, to put them on the back foot.

The next target for the team could be West Indies, who have been inconsistent in their performances; but they have a tendency to survive. Instead, Pakistan will have to have a clear mindset to win each Test against them to enhance their chances. If the Shan Masood-led side manages to win most of the home matches, they are likely to be a strong contender to make it to the World Test Championship final. 

Also Read: Pakistan Cricket Board Revolutionizes Player Selection with AI Integration

Otherwise, they are unlikely to reach the big stage. Pakistan will have to put their best foot forward in South Africa due to their mediocre performance in home matches. The second Test match against Bangladesh, starting on August 30, could be crucial for Pakistan, as it will lay the foundation for an exciting series against England. 

Pakistan must win this match in a convincing manner and level the series 1-1, to put the dressing room in the right place ahead of the series against the Ben Stokes-led side. However, if they lose any of the upcoming four home matches, the problems may increase for them. Pakistan last toured South Africa in December 2018-January 2019, in which the Proteas clean swept the Test series 3-0. 

Although both teams struggled on the batting front, Pakistan’s batsmen could not practice themselves better in the crunch moments, and as a result, the team lost the match. This time too, it will not be easy for Pakistan as they will have to face Kagiso Rabada, Marco Jansen, Lungi Ngidi and Keshav Maharaj. Players like Babar Azam and Mohammad Rizwan will have to play regularly to achieve success on the bouncy pitches of South Africa.

Earlier this month, captain Shan Masood had expressed hope of securing World Test Championship points against South Africa

Ahead of the Bangladesh series, Masood said, “Our effort will be to take full advantage of the home advantage in our seven World Test Championship matches. And the special thing is that in South Africa too we can get points and win the series, it is a great possibility for us.” It will be exciting to see if Pakistan can qualify for the World Test Championship 2025 final with their brilliant performance in the next few months.