Pakistan Slips to Lowest-Ever 9th Position in ICC Test Rankings After Series Whitewash Against England
LAHORE : The Pakistan Test cricket team has made the biggest leap towards the bottom of the official International Cricket Council (ICC) Test team rankings, settling for 9th place in the rankings.
The national team, after a punishing 3-0 series loss to England, dropped to second last in the rankings, behind the top ten full member Test playing teams. The comparisons to struggles and long stints of poor performance in red-ball cricket are stark, as the national team has won just seven of its previous 20 engagements.
On top of these problems, Pakistan have also faced clean sweep whitewashes in six out of their last 12 Test series, bringing back fresh controversies and questions regarding the current structural issues, consistency and future trajectory of Pakistan’s red-ball squad.
It is the first time in cricket history Pakistan have fallen to 9th position in the Test rankings. Cricket commentators have pointed to the persistent slide as evidence of significant weaknesses in consistency and penetration at the ball and end of the bowling in the country.
In the meantime, the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) and team management are under pressure to bring in sweeping changes and the side will now consider regrouping for white-ball commitments ahead.