Pakistan slipped to ninth in the ICC men’s Test rankings after their 3-0 whitewash by England, the lowest position in the side’s history. A decade ago, in 2016, they led the rankings.
A Decade-Old Peak
Pakistan first rose to the top of the men’s Test team rankings in August 2016. Led by Misbah-ul-Haq, they climbed to third after drawing 2-2 in England, then moved to second after Sri Lanka whitewashed Australia 3-0 at home. They dethroned India from the top spot on August 22, 2016, after rain washed out the West Indies vs India Test in Trinidad.
Just over ten years later, they have fallen to a historic low. A chaotic series against England ended with a 3-0 defeat and a drop to ninth.
A Chaotic England Series
Pakistan started the series seventh in the rankings with 75 rating points. They lost by an innings and 103 runs at Headingley and by 194 runs at Lord’s. The Pakistan Cricket Board responded with sweeping changes, including sacking the head coach and the bowling coach.
There was no turnaround at Edgbaston. Pakistan lost by eight wickets, which pushed them down another place to an all-time low of ninth. They lost four rating points over the course of the series and now have 71. England stayed in fifth place.
A Long Slide in Form
Pakistan’s 2016 rise came on the back of three consecutive series wins and a 2-2 draw in England. The current side has won just one Test series since beating Sri Lanka 2-0 away in July 2023. That win came in 2024, when they beat England 2-1 after losing the first Test by an innings and 47 runs on a flat wicket. They responded by preparing rank turners.
Points Deduction Adds to the Blow
The series defeat, the wholesale sackings and the new low in the rankings were not the end of Babar Azam’s side’s troubles. They also lost 11 World Test Championship points for a slow over-rate in the Edgbaston Test. Pakistan now sit at the bottom of the points table with just five points from nine matches in the ongoing cycle.