The final of the third edition of the ICC Test Championship (2023–2025) will be held between Australia and South Africa in June 2025 at Lord's (London). In this long-format Test cricket competition, Pakistan’s performance has been extremely disappointing compared to the previous two editions. It would not be inappropriate to say so. A reasonable and simple explanation for this is that in the first edition of the ICC Test Championship, Pakistan finished in sixth place, and in the second edition, they ended in seventh. However, this time it was the worst, as Pakistan finished ninth and last among the nine teams.

The first edition of the ICC Test Championship was held from 2019 to 2021, where India and New Zealand qualified for the final. The final was played from June 18 to 23, 2021, at the Rose Bowl, Southampton, where the New Zealand team, led by Kane Williamson, defeated the Indian team, led by Virat Kohli, by eight wickets to claim the title. The second edition took place from 2021 to 2023. India managed to reach the final for the second consecutive time, but this time they faced Australia. The final was played from June 7 to 11, 2023, at The Oval, London, where Australia, under Pat Cummins' captaincy, defeated India, led by Rohit Sharma, by 209 runs to become champions.

In the third edition, Pakistan managed to beat England 2-1 in a home series. However, against Bangladesh, Pakistan suffered its first-ever loss in Test cricket, resulting in a historic 0-2 series defeat. The series against the West Indies ended in a 1-1 draw. On foreign soil, under the leadership of Babar Azam, Pakistan defeated Sri Lanka 2-0 but suffered a humiliating 0-3 whitewash against Australia, and lost 0-2 in South Africa. In total, Pakistan played 14 Test matches during the third edition, winning 5 and losing 9. In six Test series, Babar Azam captained in one, while Shan Masood led in the remaining five.

During this edition, Pakistan gave opportunities to 25 players, including eight debutants: Saud Shakeel, Kamran Ghulam, Aamir Jamal, Saim Ayub, Mohammad Haris, Khurram Shehzad, Mohammad Ali, and Kashif Ali. Six batsmen scored a total of eleven centuries across the 14 Test matches. Among them, the most prominent performer was Saud Shakeel, the vice-captain, who scored 1078 runs in 26 innings, averaging 43.12, with three centuries and four half-centuries. Wicketkeeper Mohammad Rizwan followed with 900 runs in 12 Tests. Captain Shan Masood was third, scoring 880 runs in 27 innings at an average of 33.84. Former Test captain Babar Azam scored 539 runs in 23 innings over 12 Tests, without a century but with three half-centuries, averaging 23.43.

In terms of bowling, the most notable performance came from left-arm spinner Nauman Ali from Sanghar (Sindh), who took 46 wickets in 12 innings across six Tests, with an impressive average of 14.76, bowling 212 overs for 679 runs. The second-best performance came from right-arm off-spinner Sajid Khan from Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, who took 37 wickets in 10 innings across five Tests, averaging 21.02. Right-arm fast bowler Aamir Jamal from Mianwali was the third-best, taking 21 wickets in eight Tests. Khurram Shehzad took 20 wickets in six Tests, while Shaheen Shah Afridi and Naseem Shah each took 18 wickets in six and five Tests, respectively.

During the 2023–2025 edition, the Chairman of the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) changed, selection committees were restructured, and several changes occurred in team management, including coaching staff. However, in the six series played, only two captains led the team: Babar Azam for the first series and Shan Masood for the remaining five. The deteriorating situation of Pakistan’s Test cricket requires urgent attention. It appears that a lack of interest from players is a major factor. It is clear that neither the board nor the players are fully invested in domestic cricket. Many players seem primarily focused on league cricket, aiming to secure a place in the national Test team based on performances in leagues like the Pakistan Super League.

If this trend continues, Pakistan’s performance in Test cricket is likely to decline further. The PCB urgently needs to focus on strengthening the domestic system, particularly the first-class structure. Only then can Pakistan hope to improve its standing and reputation in Test cricket. Without solid foundations at the domestic level, achieving success on the international Test stage will remain an elusive goal.