Syed Ahmed Raza

ISLAMABAD: Pakistan will begin its 2025-27 World Test Championship (WTC) journey on Sunday when they take on defending champions South Africa in the first of two Test matches at the Gaddafi Stadium, Lahore. This will also be the first occasion since the inception of the ICC World Test Championship in 2019 that Pakistan will be playing their opening series of a WTC cycle at home. In the 2019-21 WTC, they began the cycle with a tour to Australia, while in 2021-23, with a championship tour of the West Indies. In the previous 2023-25 cycle, Pakistan started their campaign with a tour of Sri Lanka. Golden opportunityIn earlier WTC cycles, Pakistan finished fifth, seventh, and ninth, failing to win more than five matches in a single campaign. The team never came close to qualifying for the final. However, the upcoming cycle offers a favorable mix of opponents and venues, presenting a realistic chance for Pakistan to turn the tide.&nbsp;One of Pakistan&rsquo;s biggest advantages is the fixture list. Under the WTC format, each team plays six series, three at home and three away, while missing two opponents. For Pakistan, those two are India and Australia, two of the strongest sides in WTC history.&nbsp;Australia, the 2023 champions and 2025 runners-up, hold the best win/loss ratio at 2.750, followed by India at 1.631. Avoiding both significantly boosts Pakistan&rsquo;s chances of staying competitive on the points table.&nbsp;Home advantageAt home, Pakistan will host South Africa, Sri Lanka, and New Zealand &mdash; six Tests in total. The series against South Africa marks a tough opening challenge, but also a golden opportunity to build early momentum.Pakistan&rsquo;s record against both South Africa and New Zealand is stronger on home soil, and victories here could set the tone for the entire cycle.&nbsp;Away fixturesTheir away fixtures, against England, Bangladesh, and West Indies, pose varying levels of difficulty.&nbsp;The three-Test series in England is expected to be the toughest, but Pakistan have historically performed well there, with five Test wins since 2010, their best record among SENA countries.&nbsp;Bangladesh remains a favorable venue, with Pakistan having won eight of the nine Tests, while the West Indies could offer a balanced contest.&nbsp;Masood for maximizing home advantagePakistan captain Shan Masood, speaking to the PCB Digital, ahead of the South Africa series, emphasized a strong start to the new WTC cycle.&nbsp;&ldquo;The main goal is always to win the championship, but for us, it&rsquo;s about starting well &mdash; and facing the defending champions at home is a great opportunity,&rdquo; he said.&nbsp;Masood noted that the WTC serves as a true test of progress. &ldquo;It allows us to measure ourselves against the best. If we perform well, we&rsquo;ll know we&rsquo;re right up there.&rdquo;&nbsp;Highlighting the value of home advantage, he added, &ldquo;Teams that reach the final have always dominated at home. For us, it&rsquo;s about finding that blueprint and beginning strongly.&rdquo;&nbsp;Final wordWith a relatively shorter schedule of 13 Tests, the second lowest after Sri Lanka, Pakistan&rsquo;s unpredictability could turn into an asset. Fewer games mean less room for prolonged slumps, provided the team maintains consistency.

Cricket

This is the first occasion since the inception of the ICC World Test Championship in 2019 that Pakistan will be playing their opening series of a WTC cycle at home.

Articles tagged with "WTC final"

Pakistan eye final as WTC 2025-27 campaign begins against South Africa

Pakistan eye final as WTC 2025-27 campaign begins against South Africa