Pakistan reached an embarrassing milestone on Monday, finishing at the bottom of the World Test Championship (WTC) points table after a crushing 120-run loss to West Indies in the second Test of the series in Multan. The defeat marked a historic achievement for the visitors, who secured their first Test win in Pakistan in 34 years, leveling the series 1-1.
West Indies spinner Jomel Warrican was the standout performer, dismantling Pakistan’s batting lineup with five wickets in the final innings, giving him nine in the match and an impressive 19 wickets in the series. Chasing 254 for victory, Pakistan began Day 3 on a shaky 76 for 4, relying heavily on Saud Shakeel. However, Shakeel managed just 13 runs before falling to Kevin Sinclair, after which the rest of the batting order collapsed, adding only 67 more runs to be bowled out for 133.
The victory was West Indies’ first in Pakistan since their 1990 Faisalabad win, breaking a 34-year drought and erasing the disappointment of winless tours in 1997 and 2006.
The loss was a grim conclusion to Pakistan’s 2023–25 WTC cycle, where they managed only five wins in 14 matches, suffering nine defeats for a PCT (percentage points) of 27.89%—their worst performance in any WTC cycle. This follows previous finishes of sixth in 2019–21 and seventh in 2021–23, where they recorded PCTs of 43.3% and 38.1%, respectively.
While Pakistan finished at the bottom, South Africa topped the WTC standings after a dominant home season, securing their place in the final against defending champions Australia, who finished second. India took third place, with nine wins in 19 games during the cycle.
Pakistan’s poor performance at home raises concerns about the team’s direction, particularly as they continue to struggle against both spin and pace on familiar tracks. Meanwhile, West Indies’ stunning win highlights a significant moment of resurgence for their Test cricket fortunes.
