KARACHI September 04, 2024 (TDI): Pakistan’s cricket team on Wednesday hit a historic low in their rich history of Test cricket after an unexpected 2-0 series whitewash at home against Bangladesh.
The six-wicket loss in the second Test, held in Rawalpindi on Tuesday, caused Pakistan to drop from sixth to eighth place in the ICC Test team rankings, with a rating of 76.
This is the lowest rating Pakistan has held since 1965, except for a brief period when they were unranked due to not having enough matches.
Bangladesh’s triumph in Rawalpindi not only marked their first-ever series win against Pakistan but also propelled them to ninth place in the rankings. The defeat pushed Pakistan below the West Indies into the eighth spot.
The ICC Test rankings are currently topped by Australia, followed by India and England. Bangladesh has moved up to ninth place in the rankings.
In addition to the team’s decline, Pakistan has seen a drop in individual player rankings. Fast bowler Shaheen Shah Afridi has fallen from ninth to 11th place among bowlers.
Wicketkeeper-batter Mohammad Rizwan is the only Pakistani player remaining in the top 10 for batting, while Babar Azam has dropped to 12th place after managing just 64 runs across the two Tests against Bangladesh.
