As South Africa lifted the ICC World Test Championship (WTC) mace at Lord’s—defeating Australia in a captivating final—Pakistan’s journey in the same cycle ended in stark contrast: anchored to the bottom of the table, below even Bangladesh, Sri Lanka, and the West Indies.
ICC World Test Championship 2023-2025 – Points Table
History of missed chances
Pakistan’s descent didn’t begin in this cycle. The 2021–23 WTC campaign was also the same, which was arguably their best chance at making the final.
With marquee series at home against Australia, England, and New Zealand, and relatively manageable away tours to Sri Lanka, West Indies, and Bangladesh, the stars had aligned. But a defensive mindset betrayed the opportunity.
Former PCB Chairman Ramiz Raja revealed that then-captain Babar Azam insisted on flat pitches at home.
“I wasn’t really bossing pitch preparation,” Raja admitted. “I’d ask Babar about plans to beat Australia, and while I questioned his strategy, he was the captain.”
That strategic misfire led to two series losses at home, while away tours produced draws instead of wins. Pakistan finished eighth in the previous cycle—a warning unheeded.
WTC 2023–25: a deeper decline
In this cycle, Pakistan’s fixtures included away tours to Sri Lanka, Australia, and South Africa, while hosting England, Bangladesh, and West Indies.
They started with promise, sweeping Sri Lanka 2-0. Historically, Pakistan have never won a Test series in either Australia or South Africa—and 2023–25 was no exception.
Pakistan’s home series against England, however, was a mixed bag—losing the opener badly before winning the next two thanks to spin dominance by Sajid Khan and Nauman Ali.
West Indies drew their series 1-1, but the real debacle came against Bangladesh. In Rawalpindi, the visitors stunned Pakistan with a 2-0 series win—arguably one of the lowest points in Pakistan’s Test history.
Strategy misfires and home fragility
At the heart of Pakistan’s failure was a strategic contradiction: flat wickets at home combined with an overreliance on pace. In the first Test against Bangladesh, a pace-heavy attack of Shaheen Afridi, Naseem Shah, Khurram Shahzad, and Mohammad Ali leaked 565 runs after Pakistan had posted a strong 448.
On Day 5, Pakistan’s batting lineup collapsed to Bangladesh’s spinners, managing just 146 in the second innings. Bengali spinners Mehidy Hasan Miraz and Shakib Al Hasan exploited the surface masterfully, setting up a paltry chase of 30, which Bangladesh completed within seven overs.
Only after England’s innings win on a pace-friendly surface did Pakistan revert to spin-friendly conditions—and won three Tests in a row. The switch was effective but too late and emblematic of a team unsure of its abilities.
Overseas woes and batting collapse
Pakistan’s vulnerability away from home, especially in pace-heavy conditions, was once again brutally exposed.
In Australia, the batting lineup crumbled consistently, failing to cross 300 even once, while Australian batters did so thrice with clinical ease. The gulf in discipline, technique, and temperament was glaring.
Sri Lanka’s spin-friendly conditions briefly flattered Pakistan. Abdullah Shafique and Saud Shakeel handled spin admirably, both notching double centuries, while Nauman Ali and Abrar Ahmed exploited Sri Lanka’s spin-friendly pitches to secure dominant wins.
In South Africa, history repeated itself. Pakistan’s fragile batting was dismantled by hostile pace bowling.
The only bright spot was Mohammad Abbas, who returned to the side after a long absence and nearly bowled Pakistan to an unlikely win in the first Test. But the team selection—leaving out Naseem Shah for four medium pacers—backfired spectacularly at Newlands.
Chaos in leadership, confusion in vision
The collapse wasn’t confined to the field. Off it, Pakistan cricket was in disarray. The “Pakistan Way” era under Babar Azam, Mickey Arthur, and Grant Bradburn crumbled under scrutiny and results.
Captaincy changed hands to Shan Masood, and Jason Gillespie was briefly brought in as head coach, only for selection powers to be stripped from them as results worsened.
Shaheen Afridi was controversially rested—or sidelined—for the South Africa tour, but allowed to feature in BPL. Naseem Shah was benched despite being fit.
Shan Masood later admitted that Pakistan’s pace attack couldn’t match the raw intensity of South Africa—not as criticism, but as acknowledgement of a widening gap.
Unlike South Africa and Australia, Pakistan lacked pace-bowling all-rounders and reliable fast-bowling depth.
Their batting, already brittle, could not afford the luxury of an extra bowler. The series loss wasn’t shocking; it was almost inevitable.
Individual brilliance was largely absent from Pakistan’s campaign. While Joe Root topped the run charts with a staggering 1968 runs, Pakistan’s highest contributor was Saud Shakeel with a modest 1078.
In the bowling department, Pat Cummins led the wicket-takers with 80 dismissals, whereas Nauman Ali was Pakistan’s best, claiming 46 wickets across the cycle.
Red-ball future: uncertain and unclear
With only two Tests scheduled over the next 14 months, Pakistan’s red-ball calendar reflects their declining interest in the format.
Leadership changes, tactical flip-flops, and a lack of structural planning have left Test cricket in a state of limbo. Without a roadmap, strategy, or long-term vision, even an uptick in fixtures wouldn’t guarantee progress.
South Africa’s WTC triumph offers a sobering contrast. Their rise was methodical—built on clear plans, strong domestic structures, and an unwavering commitment to Test excellence.
If Pakistan continues to treat Test cricket as an afterthought, they’ll find themselves permanently at the wrong end of the table—wondering not just how they lost, but why they ever stopped trying.
