Pakistan have slipped to ninth in the ICC men’s Test rankings after their 3-0 series whitewash by England, the lowest position in the side’s history. Just a decade ago, in 2016, they stood at the top of the table.
A Rapid Fall From the Summit
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, and moved to second after Sri Lanka whitewashed Australia 3-0 at home. They then dethroned India from the top on August 22, 2016, after rain washed out the West Indies vs India Test in Trinidad.
Just over ten years later, the side has reached a historic low. Their chaotic series against England ended in a 3-0 defeat that dropped them to ninth.
Series Defeats and Sackings
Pakistan began 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 wholesale changes, including the sacking of the head coach and bowling coach.
The result did not improve at Edgbaston, where Pakistan lost by eight wickets. That defeat sent them down another place to an all-time low of ninth. They lost four rating points over the course of the series and now sit on 71. England, meanwhile, held onto fifth place.
Limited Recent Success
Pakistan’s rise to the top in 2016 came after three back-to-back 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 with a series of rank turners after losing the first Test by an innings and 47 runs on a flat pitch.
World Test Championship Penalty
The sackings and the new low in the rankings were not the only setbacks. Babar Azam’s side also had 11 World Test Championship points deducted for a slow over-rate in the Edgbaston Test. They sit at the bottom of the points table with just five points from nine matches in the ongoing cycle.