Is Pakistan knocked out from World Test Championship final race?
Pakistan suffered an embarrassing 0-3 defeat in the home ICC World Test Championship (WTC) series against England. Fans had high hopes from the Babar Azam-led outfit as they were playing the series on their home turf instead of hosting matches at a neutral venue.
However, the results worsened for Pakistan as they slipped to the seventh position in the WTC points table after the three defeats against England. Earlier this year, Australia defeated Pakistan 1-0 in Pakistan.
Courtesy of these results, Pakistan have been eliminated from the ICC World Test Championship. They have no chance of qualifying for the final of this year's WTC cycle.
Fans should note that Pakistan still have two Test matches remaining in the ongoing World Test Championship. They will play two home Tests against New Zealand soon. Even if Pakistan win the series 2-0, they will have only 47.62% points which won't be enough to take them to the final.
Pakistan's World Test Championship points percentage will slip below 35 if they lose against New Zealand
Pakistan should now aim to end their ICC WTC campaign on a winning note. Although the chances of a top-2 finish are negligible, the Babar Azam-led outfit should try to play well against New Zealand and gain some momentum before the new WTC cycle.
In case New Zealand win the upcoming series 2-0, Pakistan's points percentage will slip to 33.33. They will slip to the eighth position in that scenario.
The series between Pakistan and New Zealand will start from December 26 in Karachi. It will be interesting to see how the Babar Azam-led team performs against the defending champions of the WTC.
Will Pakistan bounce back in the next cycle of WTC? Share your views in the comments box below.