NEW DELHI: Bangladesh defeated Pakistan by six wickets in the second Test of the two-match series at Rawalpindi Cricket Stadium on Tuesday (September 3). The Shan Masood-led side, which had already lost the series opener by 10 wickets at the same venue, needed a victory to level the series. However, the hosts once again failed to deliver, resulting in their first-ever Test series loss against Bangladesh.
This defeat also dealt a blow to Pakistan's aspirations of reaching the World Test Championship (WTC) 2025 final.
Pakistan currently occupy the eighth position in the WTC 2023-25 points table after suffering five consecutive losses.
Despite the recent setbacks, they still have a chance to qualify for the WTC 2025 final, which is scheduled to be held at Lord's in June 2025.
As per WTC rules, the top two teams qualify for the final.
Despite being whitewashed in their last two Test series, Pakistan still has a chance to finish in the top two.
However, to achieve this, they must win all the matches in their remaining three series of the current WTC cycle. Additionally, they need to closely monitor the performance of other teams.
The upcoming challenges for Pakistan include a three-match Test series against England at home, starting on October 7 in Multan, followed by matches in Karachi (October 15-19) and Rawalpindi (October 24-28).
Subsequently, they will face South Africa in a two-match Test series in December 2024-January 2025 and then host the West Indies for another two-match Test series in January 2025.
If Pakistan manage to secure victories in all seven upcoming Tests, their PCT% will rise from the current 19.05 to 59.52.
Although they cannot surpass India (68.52 PCT%) and Australia (62.50 PCT%), who currently hold the top two positions in the WTC points table, the upcoming five-match series between these two teams could potentially open up an opportunity for Pakistan to finish in the top two.
However, if Pakistan fail to win any of the remaining seven Tests, their chances of qualifying will be severely jeopardized, and they may be eliminated from contention.
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India vs England Test match here.
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