ENG vs PAK: Major shake-up in Pakistan team after series loss to England; 7 players sent home, coach Sarfaraz Ahmed removed
A major upheaval has hit Pakistan cricket following a crushing 194-run defeat in the Lord's Test against England and falling 2-0 behind in the series. The Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) has overhauled more than half its squad ahead of the third and final Test scheduled to begin on September 9 at Edgbaston (Birmingham). Head coach Sarfaraz Ahmed and bowling coach Umar Gul have been removed from their positions, while seven players—including Mohammad Rizwan and Imam-ul-Haq—have been ordered to return home immediately.
Limited-overs head coach Mike Hesson and bowling coach Ashley Noffke have now been entrusted with the responsibility of the Test team.
7 senior players dropped
The seven players released from the squad due to poor performance and fitness issues are:
- Mohammad Rizwan (due to consistently declining batting form)
- Imam-ul-Haq (Grade-1 left calf tear sustained during the Lord's Test)
- Salman Ali Agha (T20 captain; poor form)
- Ali Usman (dropped despite taking a 5-wicket haul at Headingley)
- Aamer Jamal
- Muhammad Awais Zafar
- Khurram Shahzad
Opportunity for 5 uncapped players; Saim Ayub returns
Pakistan has placed its faith in entirely new faces for the third Test, which is effectively a 'dead rubber' (a match with no bearing on the series outcome).
Five uncapped players have been included in the team:- Arafat Minhas (left-arm spin all-rounder, who won 'Player of the Match' on his ODI debut against Australia)
- Saad Baig (wicketkeeper-batter, top run-scorer in the Quaid-e-Azam Trophy)
- Mohammad Imran Randhawa (fast bowler with experience of 58 first-class matches)
- Mohammad Imran Jr. (fast bowler)
- Razaullah (fast bowler)
Additionally, opening batters Saim Ayub and Abdullah Fazal have returned to the squad after completing their rehabilitation following injuries.
Changes in coaching staff and a declining record
Sarfaraz Ahmed and Umar Gul were handed responsibilities ahead of the tour to Bangladesh in April this year, but Sarfaraz's tenure as head coach lasted only three series. The defeat at Lord's marked Pakistan's 15th loss in their last 20 Test matches, leaving the team at the bottom of the World Test Championship (WTC) points table.
Pakistan's revised squad for the third Test (Birmingham)
Babar Azam (captain), Abdullah Fazal, Arafat Minhas, Azan Awais, Mohammad Abbas, Mohammad Ali, Muhammad Imran, Mohammad Imran Jr., Muhammad Ghazi Ghori (wicketkeeper), Razaullah, Saad Baig (wicketkeeper), Saim Ayub, Sajid Khan, Saud Shakeel, Shan Masood, Ubaid Shah.
