of Pakistan World Test Championship The campaign took another hit as they were anchored by five points for a sluggish rate during their second Test against South Africa in Cape Town. To add to the hurdle, they were also fined 25% of their match fees. This comes after Pakistan lost to South Africa by 10 wickets during the second Test at Newlands.
What happened to Pakistan?
Pakistan fell five runs short of their target, even after accounting for time allowances. The penalty was awarded by match referee Richie Richardson. Pakistanthe captain of Shan Masood accepted the charge without contesting it, making a formal hearing unnecessary. Judges Kumar Dharmasena, Nitin Menon, Alex Wharf and Stephen Harris were responsible for identifying the deficiency.
The WTC rules are clear. Teams lose one point for each end they lose. This is not the first time that Pakistan has faced such punishment. In fact, it is their third descent in the ongoing 2023-25 WTC cycle.
Pakistan's score so far
Pakistan's slow over rate has cost them valuable points. They dropped two points after their first Test against Australia in Perth in December 2023. Then, in August 2024, they anchored by six wickets during their Rawalpindi Test against Bangladesh.
After the latest relegation, Pakistan now sit on 35 points from 12 Tests. Without these penalties, they could have had 48. Their percentage of contested points has dropped from 27.78% to 24.31%. While they remain in eighth place, they are only just ahead of the West Indies, who are at the bottom with 24.24%.
Pakistan will host the West Indies for two Tests in Karachi and Multan, starting on January 16. They need a clean sweep against the West Indies to improve their ranking. Even then they will not qualify for the finals. Australia and South Africa have already qualified for the World Test Championship final. They will be at Lord's in June.
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