Pak slump to lowest rating points

They drop two places in the ICC Men's Test Team Rankings

Pakistan's cricket team has hit a new low, sinking to the eighth spot in the ICC Test rankings following a disappointing 2-0 series loss to Bangladesh in Rawalpindi.

This marks the first time Pakistan has lost a series to Bangladesh, and the result has seen them drop to their lowest rating points since 1965.

The series saw Bangladesh secure a decisive victory in both Test matches. Pakistan lost the first Test by ten wickets and the second by six wickets. As a result, Pakistan dropped two places in the ICC Men's Test Team Rankings, falling from sixth to eighth position with 76 rating points.

The International Cricket Council (ICC) commented on the setback, stating, "Pakistan dropped two places in the ICC Men's Test Team Rankings to go to eighth position after suffering a shock series loss at home to Bangladesh."

"The hosts were sixth in the rankings table before the series, but back-to-back losses have seen them drop below West Indies to eighth with 76 rating points.

"This is the lowest rating points Pakistan have had in the Test rankings table since 1965, barring a brief period where they did not have a place in the rankings due to an insufficient number of matches."

This drop is the lowest rating points Pakistan has recorded since the rankings began, excluding a brief period when they were not ranked due to a lack of matches.

Despite their series win, Bangladesh did not receive significant promotion. They gained 13 rating points but remain in ninth place, just behind Pakistan. Bangladesh's victory has, however, strengthened their position in the World Test Championship (WTC) cycle 2023-25, where they are now ranked fourth. The current top three teams in the WTC standings are India, Australia, and New Zealand.

This defeat has dashed Pakistan's hopes of reaching the World Test Championship 2023-25 final, as they now find themselves in eighth place on the WTC points table with 16 points and a win percentage of 19.05. Meanwhile, Bangladesh has significantly improved their position, climbing to fourth place with 33 points and a win percentage of 45.83.

In the World Test Championship, teams are ranked based on the percentage of points they accumulate, with 12 points awarded for a Test win, 4 for a draw, and 6 for a tie.

Babar out of top 10

Pakistan's cricket team has faced a significant setback in the latest ICC Test rankings following a disappointing two-match series against Bangladesh held in Rawalpindi.

The series exposed a number of key players who struggled to maintain their form, leading to a major drop in their rankings.

Pakistan's white-ball captain Babar Azam experienced a notable decline, falling from 9th to 12th place in the ICC Test batting rankings. Azam, who has failed to score a fifty in his last 16 Test innings, now holds 712 rating points. His performance during the Bangladesh series was underwhelming, contributing to his drop in the rankings.

Despite the overall team struggle, Mohammad Rizwan managed to retain his position at 10th in the batting rankings with 720 rating points. Rizwan was the leading run-scorer in the series, accumulating 171 runs and totaling 294 runs across the two Test matches.

Middle-order batter Saud Shakeel also saw a decline, dropping seven places from 13th to 20th with 661 rating points due to a series of disappointing performances.

In contrast, all-rounder Salman Ali Agha saw a rise, climbing nine spots from 40th to 31st with 606 rating points. Opening batter Abdullah Shafique, however, experienced a decline, falling from 34th to 42nd in the latest rankings update.

In the ICC Test batting rankings, England's Joe Root leads with 922 rating points, followed by Kane Williamson in second place with 859 points. Daryl Mitchell holds the third spot with 768 rating points.