Pakistan’s Test team is facing a drought that would have been hard to imagine during some of its strongest overseas years. The side has now gone eight years without a Test victory in a SENA country South Africa, England, New Zealand or Australia.
The last time Pakistan won a Test in these conditions was in May 2018, when Sarfaraz Ahmed’s side beat England by nine wickets at Lord’s. Since then, the team has struggled to reproduce that level of discipline and consistency away from home.
The latest setback came at Headingley, where England crushed Pakistan by an innings and 103 runs in the first Test of the ongoing series. England posted 409 before bowling Pakistan out for 171 and 135. The result also extended Pakistan’s difficult run in away Tests.
SENA Country: Four Countries That Continue to Test Pakistan
SENA stands for South Africa, England, New Zealand and Australia. These countries are traditionally among the toughest places for Asian teams to play Test cricket because of the pace, bounce, movement and, in some conditions, the extra demands placed on visiting batters
Pakistan have historically had the ability to win in these conditions. They have produced famous victories in Australia, England, New Zealand and South Africa, often relying on high-quality fast bowling and disciplined batting.
Lord’s 2018 Remains the Last High Point
Pakistan’s most recent SENA victory came at Lord’s in May 2018. Led by Sarfaraz Ahmed, Pakistan defeated England by nine wickets after putting together a controlled performance with both bat and ball.
Mohammad Abbas was particularly effective with the ball, while Pakistan’s batting line-up did enough to put England under pressure. The victory gave Pakistan a 1-0 lead in the two-Test series, although England responded by winning at Headingley.
At the time, the result looked like another example of Pakistan’s ability to surprise stronger home teams. Eight years later, it has become the starting point for a much more worrying statistic.
The Numbers Tell a Difficult Story
Pakistan’s recent SENA country record shows just how deep the problem has become. Since that Lord’s victory, Pakistan have gone without a Test win in these four countries. Earlier in the drought, the team managed two draws in England in 2020, with rain and bad weather playing a major role. The ICC noted at the time that Pakistan had already suffered seven straight defeats in away Tests before those two draws.
The latest defeat at Headingley has made the wait even longer. Pakistan now need to win one of the remaining Tests in England to finally end the run.
The problem is not limited to one particular generation of players. Several captains, coaches and combinations have tried to solve it, but the results have remained largely the same.
Australia and South Africa Have Been Especially Difficult
Pakistan’s struggles have been particularly visible in Australia and South Africa, where conditions can expose weaknesses in both batting technique and bowling depth.
In Australia, Pakistan have often found it difficult to handle long spells from fast bowlers and sustained pressure with the old ball. Their recent tours have produced heavy defeats rather than the kind of fighting performances needed to win a Test.
South Africa has presented a similar challenge. The combination of pace, bounce and movement has repeatedly troubled Pakistan’s batting, while their bowling attacks have not always been able to maintain pressure for long enough.
New Zealand has also been an uncomfortable destination. Pakistan’s last Test tour there, in 2020-21, ended with defeats in both matches.
Also Read: Can England’s Pakistan Win Change India’s WTC Final Chances?
What Pakistan Need to Change
The issue is bigger than simply finding one match-winning player. Pakistan need greater consistency across five days.
Their batting has too often collapsed under pressure, while their fast bowlers have struggled to maintain the intensity required in long overseas spells. Fielding mistakes and poor starts have also made difficult conditions even harder to overcome.
The talent is still there. Pakistan have a proud history of producing fast bowlers and fearless batsmen capable of winning matches away from home. What has been missing is the ability to put all those pieces together in the same Test.
The second Test against England at Lord’s gives them another chance. It is also a venue connected with their last SENA success, which adds an interesting layer to the story.
Eight years after that memorable win, Pakistan are once again walking into Lord’s needing a result. This time, though, they are not defending a proud record. They are trying to finally end one of the longest overseas droughts in their modern Test history.
