The Shan Masood-led Pakistan Test team has hit rock bottom after a historic series defeat against Bangladesh. For the first time ever, Bangladesh managed to sweep Pakistan 2-0 in their own backyard.
This humiliating loss has had serious consequences, not just for Pakistan’s morale but also for their standing in the ICC Men’s Test Team Rankings.
Pakistan has now dropped two places to eighth, with a rating of just 66 points. This is the lowest rating Pakistan has held since 1965—a record no team would want to break.
A Historic Low for Pakistan Cricket
According to an ICC press release, Pakistan’s current rating is their lowest in nearly six decades, aside from a brief period when they weren’t ranked due to not playing enough matches.
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The series defeat to Bangladesh has sent shock waves through the cricketing community, leaving fans and experts wondering where things went wrong.
While Pakistan’s players had their individual moments, the team’s overall performance was far from satisfactory. Bangladesh, on the other hand, outplayed the hosts in every department, cementing their first-ever series win against Pakistan in Test cricket.
Individual Rankings Take a Hit
The loss didn’t just hurt Pakistan’s team rankings; it also saw many of their top players slipping in the ICC individual rankings.
Babar Azam, once the pride of Pakistan cricket, endured a miserable series.Scoring only 64 runs in four innings, he has now dropped three places to 12th in the ICC Test Batting Rankings. This marks the first time in four years that Babar is out of the top ten.
Vice-captain Saud Shakeel also faced the brunt of the team’s poor performance, dropping seven spots to 20th. Abdullah Shafique, who struggled for form throughout the series, slipped from 34th to 42nd.
On the bowling side, Shaheen Afridi lost his place in the top ten, falling to 11th. Naseem Shah and Abrar Ahmed also saw their rankings tumble, with Naseem dropping to 35th and Abrar falling to 49th.
Rizwan Stands Tall, Others Struggle
While most of Pakistan’s big names struggled, one player held his ground: Mohammad Rizwan. The experienced wicketkeepe was Pakistan’s highest scorer in the series, amassing 294 runs across four innings. His performances have kept him steady in the rankings, where he remains the highest-ranked Pakistani batter at 10th.
There were a couple of bright spots in an otherwise gloomy scenario. Salman Ali Agha gained nine places in the ICC Test Batting Rankings to reach 31st, while Shan Masood, despite a tough series, moved up four places to 63rd.
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