Can Pakistan still qualify for World Test Championship 2025 final?
Pakistan have come under fire from the cricket fraternity and fans for their lackluster performance in the first game of the two-match Test series against Bangladesh in Rawalpindi. The fixture saw Pakistan lose their first red-ball game against the neighbors in a total of 14 encounters.
Moreover, Pakistan and Bangladesh lost the World Test Championship (WTC) points due to slow over rates during the opening contest. This development piled on the misery on the home team, who were already reeling under pressure after a shocking 10-wicket loss.
Currently, Pakistan are eighth in the WTC standings, with only two wins from six Test matches. They hold a point percentage of 22.22, and are in danger of losing the place among the WTC 2025 finalists. However, they still have eight matches remaining - six at home and two in South Africa.
Let's delve into the scenario of whether Pakistan have a realistic chance of qualifying for the WTC final.
Pakistan need to prove themselves in home conditions; otherwise it is all done and dusted
Surprisingly, Pakistan have been disappointing with their red-ball performances at home in recent years. Their last series victory came in February 2021 against South Africa. Since then, they have lost 0-1 to Australia, 0-3 to England, and played out a 0-0 draw against New Zealand.
Even with the presence of talented group of spinners, Pakistan were unable to produce a victory against the sides, which are known to struggle in the subcontinent pitches. Moreover, the batters also could not join the party, as few of the opposition spinners held an edge over them on most occasions.
In the recent game against Bangladesh, they were all-out for a paltry score of 146, with the spinners inflicting the most damage. Looking ahead, the Pakistan batters have the opportunity to right the wrong in the second Test, as they need to build on their confidence and momentum.
The high-flying English side are visiting Pakistan in October and will bring with them a well-rounded bowling attack, who are all in good form. Moreover, their batters' positive intent needs to be successfully negated by the Pakistan bowling attack early on in the innings to put them on the backfoot.
The next challenge for the team will be the West Indies, who have been inconsistent with their performances; however, they have a surviving instinct. Instead, Pakistan needs to have a clear mindset to win both Tests against them to increase their chances to
If the Shan Masood-led side can manage to win the majority of the home games, they are likely to be a strong contender for staking a claim for the WTC final spot. Otherwise, they are unlikely to progress to the big stage.
Mediocre performances in home will force Pakistan to play out of their skin in South Africa
The second Test fixture starting August 30 against Bangladesh will be crucial for Pakistan, as it will set a foundation for an interesting series against England. It is imperative that Pakistan wins this game on a dominating note and end the series 1-1, which will keep the dressing room in good stead ahead of the series against the Ben Stokes-led side. However, the problems will be plenty, if they lose any of the four upcoming home matches.
The last time Pakistan toured South Africa was in December 2018 - January 2019, where the Proteas secured a 3-0 Test series whitewash. Although, both teams struggled on the batting front, the Pakistan batters could not apply themselves better in crunch moments, and thus resulting in the team losing the game.
This time as well, it will not be easy for Pakistan as they will face Kagiso Rabada, Marco Jansen, Lungi Ngidi and Keshav Maharaj. The likes of Babar Azam and Mohamamad Rizwan will need to be consistent for the side to gain success in the bouncy pitches of South Africa.
Earlier this month, captain Shan Masood expressed optimism of securing WTC points against South Africa.
“Our effort would be to make the best use of the home advantage in our seven Tests. And obviously, even in South Africa, we can gain points and win a series, which is a great opportunity for us,” Masood said ahead of the Bangladesh series[via H/t ICC].
It will be interesting to see whether Pakistan can earn qualification to the WTC 2025 final, with their impressive performances in the next few months.