The Test series between Pakistan and England started after 17 years on the soil of Pakistan. The England team has come to Pakistan for the first time after the restoration of Test cricket in Pakistan.
This series is historically important for Pakistan, but Pakistan also has a chance to reach the final of the World Test Championship.
Pakistan team captain Babar Azam has also termed this series as a golden opportunity to reach the finals of the World Test Championship and has expressed hope that the matches of the series will prove fruitful.
Let’s first have a look at the points table of the World Test Championship.
Australia leads the World Test Championship points table, while South Africa is second with 60 points. Sri Lanka is third, India is fourth and Pakistan is fifth. West Indies are sixth, England seventh, and New Zealand ninth.
World Test Championship 2021-23 points table 🏏#WTC #WorldTestChampionship #WTC2021 #PointsTable #Cricket #Sportzcraazy #Followus #Tournament #Ranking pic.twitter.com/LKNvAS9lQk
— SportzCraazy (@sportzcraazy) September 12, 2022
How important is this series for Pakistan for WTCF:
New Zealand and England’s chances of reaching the final of the World Test Championship are slim, but Pakistan is still not out of the race despite finishing fifth.
Pakistan will have to perform well in the remaining two series to reach the final of the World Test Championship, and being a home series, Pakistan’s chances of victory are also high.
In the World Test Championship, Pakistan will play a three-match series against England and two against New Zealand. Pakistan will have to win four out of five matches to qualify for the final directly.
In case of victory in three matches and defeat or draw in two matches, Pakistan will once again suffer from an if-but situation in ICC events.
In the case of winning three matches, Pakistan’s access to the final will depend on the series between South Africa and Australia. Three Test matches are scheduled in this series played in Australia, in which South Africa will reach the final if they win one match and draw one, thus Pakistan will be out of the final.
If Australia wins the series between South Africa and Australia 2-0, Pakistan’s chances of reaching the final will be bright.
Pakistan will have to rely on other teams to win four and three matches to reach the final directly.
Third and fourth-placed Sri Lanka and India are dependent on other teams to reach the finals. Both teams have only one series remaining. Sri Lanka will play a series against New Zealand while India will play a series against Bangladesh.
The final of the ICC World Test Championship will be played at the Oval in England in June next year.