Pakistan began their 2025-27 ICC World Test Championship (WTC) campaign with a victory against South Africa in the first Test of the ongoing two-match series at the Gaddafi Stadium in Lahore on October 15. The Men in Green climbed to second place in the WTC rankings, overtaking India and Sri Lanka.
Pakistan registered a 93-run victory against the winners of the 2025 World Test Championship on Wednesday. Chasing a target of 277, South Africa were bowled out for just 183 on the fourth day. Left-arm spinner Noman Ali was the pick of the bowlers for the hosts, taking 10 wickets in both innings to seal the victory.
Pakistan move to second place in WTC points table
The Shan Masood-led team secured 12 crucial points and moved to second place in the WTC standings with 100 percent points. Australia also have a 100% PCT and 36 points after winning three Test matches against the West Indies.
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Sri Lanka slipped to third place in the updated table, while India dropped to fourth place. The Shubman Gill-led Indian team, which recently beat West Indies by seven wickets in the second Test at the Arun Jaitley Stadium in Delhi, is on 52 runs with a run percentage of 61.90.
South Africa, following their defeat against Pakistan, are ranked seventh with 0 points and a PCT of 0.00. West Indies are in the eighth position, also with 0 points and a PCT of 0, having played five matches and lost all of them in the ongoing WTC 2025-27 cycle.
Here is the updated ICC World Test Championship (WTC) points table:
| Pos | Team | Plays | Won | Lost | Draw | Ded | Points | PCT |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Australia | 3 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 36 | 100.00 |
| 2 | Pakistan | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 12 | 100.00 |
| 3 | Sri Lanka | 2 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 16 | 66.67 |
| 4 | India | 7 | 4 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 52 | 61.90 |
| 5 | England | 5 | 2 | 2 | 1 | 2 | 26 | 43.33 |
| 6 | Bangladesh | 2 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 4 | 16.67 |
| 7 | South Africa | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0.00 |
| 8 | West Indies | 5 | 0 | 5 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0.00 |
| 9 | New Zealand | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0.00 |
Pakistan set to face South Africa in second Test in Rawalpindi
The second Test of the ongoing Pakistan-South Africa series is scheduled to take place at the Rawalpindi Cricket Stadium from October 20-24. A win for Pakistan will secure their second place in the 2025-27 points table, while a draw would drop their PCT by 100 to 66.67.
It is worth mentioning that Pakistan’s PCT would be reduced to 50 if they lose the next match. The Men in Green would slip to fourth place in the rankings.
South Africa will then travel to India for a two-match Test series. The series opener is scheduled to begin on November 14 at Eden Gardens in Kolkata, followed by the second Test at Barsapara Stadium, Guwahati, from November 22.
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