BIRMINGHAM, September 14, 2026: Pakistan’s disastrous England tour has taken another major turn after the International Cricket Council (ICC) deducted 11 World Test Championship points from the team for maintaining a slow over-rate during the third Test at Edgbaston.
The punishment came just two days after England completed a 3-0 Test series whitewash with an eight-wicket victory in Birmingham. Pakistan were found to be 11 overs short of the required rate after time allowances were taken into consideration.
The ICC imposed a second penalty alongside the points deduction, fining Pakistan’s players 50 percent of their match fees. The sanction was imposed by match referee Ranjan Madugalle following reports from the match officials.
Under the World Test Championship regulations, teams lose one championship point for every over they fall short of the required rate. The 11-over shortfall therefore translated directly into an 11-point deduction for Pakistan.
The penalty leaves Pakistan with just five points from nine matches in the current WTC cycle and at the bottom of the standings. The team has won only two of its nine Tests so far.
The latest setback compounds an already difficult England campaign. Pakistan not only suffered the 3-0 series defeat but also went through major squad changes during the tour, with seven players being sent home after the second Test.
Pakistan’s next World Test Championship assignment will come in November when they host Sri Lanka for a two-Test series. With the latest deduction leaving them at the bottom of the table, the road back into contention has become considerably harder.
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