Pakistan reach lowest-ever ICC Test ranking after England whitewash

DUBAI: Pakistan have slipped to their lowest-ever position in the ICC Test rankings, dropping to ninth following a 3-0 series whitewash against England.

Pakistan lost one place in the latest rankings, with the West Indies moving up to eighth. Zimbabwe retained 10th place with 17 rating points. 

There were no other changes in the top 10, with Australia maintaining their position at the summit and England remaining fifth despite their comprehensive series victory.

The drop came after England completed a dominant clean sweep in the three-match series, securing convincing victories at Headingley, Lord’s and Edgbaston.

England opened the series with an innings and 103-run victory at Headingley before Joe Root’s side produced another commanding performance at Lord’s to win by 194 runs.

The second defeat triggered a major overhaul within the Pakistan set-up, with the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) releasing seven players from the squad and making changes to the coaching staff.

Five uncapped players — Razaullah, Arafat Minhas, Imran Randhawa, Mohammad Imran Junior and Saad Baig — were drafted into the squad, while Saim Ayub and Abdullah Fazal returned.

The coaching structure was also reshuffled, with red-ball coaches Sarfaraz Ahmed and Umar Gul released and white-ball coaches Mike Hesson and Ashley Noffke taking over.

However, the changes failed to produce an immediate turnaround as England completed an eight-wicket victory in the final Test at Edgbaston, successfully chasing a target of 130.

The series result further deepened Pakistan’s struggles in Test cricket. They currently sit at the bottom of the ICC World Test Championship (WTC) standings, with just two victories from nine matches and a points percentage of 14.81.

Pakistan have now won only seven of their last 20 Tests and suffered six series whitewashes in their last 12 series.

Despite the disappointing campaign, fast bowler Razaullah emerged as a significant positive for Pakistan. Making his Test debut in the final match, he regularly breached the 140kph mark and claimed four wickets, including the prized dismissal of Joe Root.

The pacer also impressed with the bat, smashing a rapid 81 off 63 deliveries, including four fours and nine sixes.