Pakistan's WTC 2025/27 Final hopes take major hit as ICC deducts 8 points before BAN vs PAK 2nd Test in Sylhet

Pakistan’s situation in the World Test Championship (WTC) 2025/27 has gone from bad to worse as the International Cricket Council (ICC) docked eight points from the side and fined 40% of their match fees for maintaining a slow over rate during their opening Test of the two-match series against Bangladesh in Dhaka.

The punishment has come on the eve of their second Test as they suffered a massive 104-run defeat against the Najmul Hossain Shanto-led side. They were dealt with another setback when the council confirmed that they had fallen eight overs short of the required rate as the time allowed.

Pakistan drop to 7th with just 33.33 PCT — 8-point slow over-rate penalty after Mirpur defeat

The Shan Masood-led side has dropped to the seventh position of the table with just one victory in three clashes at a PCT of 33.33. Australia is currently at the top of the table with seven victories in eight clashes at a PCT of 87.50. 

The Pat Cummins-led side has been followed by New Zealand in the second position with three victories in three games at a PCT of 77.78, as the South Africa side is in the third rank of the table with a PCT of 75. The Sri Lanka side is in the fourth rank with a PCT of 66.67.

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Bangladesh, which won its very first game of the five-day format against Pakistan at home, has gone up to the sixth position of the table with one win out of three fixtures at a PCT of 44.44. Pakistan, meanwhile, has only four points in three clashes.

Win or bust: Why the BAN vs PAK 2nd Test in Sylhet is already a must-win for Pakistan's WTC survival

Pakistan's WTC 2025/27 campaign is now in free-fail. The ICC punishment has put them only over the winless West Indies side. To even reach the 60% from here, they would need to win virtually all of their remaining 10 Tests. Even after winning all 10 games, their PCT would only reach nearly 35.66%, which would still be far from a qualification mark.

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The tricky part of the Pakistan side is that they will face Bangladesh in the second Test before visiting the Caribbean for two Tests against the West Indies. That will be followed by another three-match red-ball series against England in August and September.

At home, they will play two two-match Test series against Sri Lanka and New Zealand by the end of early 2027.