The 2025-27 edition of the World Test Championship starts just two days after the 2025 WTC final, on June 17. It could be Pakistan's best chance to go the distance.
Fifth. Seventh. Ninth.
Pakistan's positions on the WTC points tables have seen an arithmetic progression over the first three editions, not in a direction they would like. They have not managed to win more than five matches in any cycle of the tournament so far, and have never really been in contention for a spot in the final at any point.
That, however, might change in the upcoming cycle.
Also read: The hypothetical World Test Championship: Who would have contested every final from 2001-2019?
Pakistan in WTC 2025-27: Playing only one out of the Big Three
For the 2025-27 World Test Championship, Pakistan have been blessed with as good a schedule as they could have hoped for.
Under the current points system, each team is required to play six series, three at home and three away. Since nine teams participate in all, every team misses out playing against two other teams every cycle. For Pakistan in 2025-27, those two teams happen to be India and Australia.
While they have never played India in any edition of the WTC so far, not having to play Australia, the 2023 champions and 2025 runners-up, will be a significant advantage for Pakistan. These are the two teams which have the best win/loss ratio in WTC history - Australia 2.750 and India 1.631.
Tougher battles in the comforts of home
The six series Pakistan are scheduled to play in the next WTC cycle are distributed as follows:
Home - vs South Africa (two), vs New Zealand (two), vs Sri Lanka (two)
Away - vs England (three), vs Bangladesh (two), vs West Indies (two)
The last time Pakistan beat South Africa in a Test in South Africa was in 2007, while the last time they achieved a similar result in New Zealand was in 2011. That they won't have to play these teams in their backyards will be a significant advantage for Pakistan.
The three-Test series against England in England will perhaps be Pakistan's toughest assignment in this cycle, but they can take heart from the fact that among the four SENA countries, they have had the most success in recent times in England.
Since the start of 2010, Pakistan have won a total of six Test matches in South Africa, England, New Zealand, and Australia combined. Five of those victories have come in England.
Pakistan should fancy their chances in Bangladesh, where they have won all but one out of their nine Test matches so far. West Indies can be a tricky proposition, though. Since 2010, Pakistan have won four and lost three Tests in the Caribbean, which signals that an even contest could be at hand.
Overall, Pakistan will be playing the second-lowest number of Test matches in this cycle (13) after Sri Lanka (12). For teams as unpredictable as Pakistan, maintaining a sustained run of good performance is relatively tougher, making the short series a blessing in disguise for them.
Find the complete breakdown of the path to the 2025-27 WTC final for each team here.
A relatively easier fixture list is no guarantee for producing results, and if the last two years are anything to go by, home advantage is at an all-time low in Test cricket. New Zealand blanked India in India last year, while Pakistan lost to Bangladesh at home. Add to that the ever-present turmoil in Pakistan cricket and it becomes incredibly tough to make any sort of prediction.
However, at least on paper, Pakistan will start their 2025-27 WTC campaign with as favourable a schedule as they could have hoped for, and a realistic chance of erasing their horrors of the cycle just gone by and reaching the finals next time around.
Pakistan's 2025-27 WTC schedule
October 2025: Two Tests vs South Africa (Home)
March 2026: Two Tests vs Bangladesh (Away)
July 2026: Two Tests vs West Indies (Away)
August-September 2026: Three Tests vs England (Away)
November 2026: Two Tests vs Sri Lanka (Home)
March 2027: Two Tests vs New Zealand (Home)
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