The Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) has announced a sweeping reshuffle, releasing seven players and two members of the coaching staff from the touring Test side in England. The drastic measures follow a 194-run defeat in the second Test at Lord’s, which handed Pakistan an unassailable 2-0 deficit in the three-match series after they lost the opening encounter by an innings and 103 runs.
Massive Pakistan Squad Overhaul After Lord’s Defeat
The team management has cracked the whip on players for various reasons, ranging from fitness and form to disciplinary issues. Pakistan are currently 0-2 down in the ongoing Test series in England and have already been eliminated from contention for a place in the World Test Championship (WTC) final. The Lord’s loss marked Pakistan’s 10th defeat in their last 11 away Tests, dropping their overall win-loss ratio below 1 for the first time since 1987 with 153 wins against 154 losses across 473 matches.
Seven Players Released and Senior Batsmen Under Scrutiny
According to the Pakistan Cricket Board, the seven departing players are former white-ball captain Salman Ali Agha, Mohammad Rizwan, Imam-ul-Haq, Ali Usman, Aamir Jamal, Muhammad Awais Zafar, and Khurram Shahzad. The senior batting trio of Agha, Rizwan, and Imam have struggled significantly of late. Rizwan scored 283 runs in 11 innings at an average of 25.72 with two half-centuries, Agha contributed 221 runs at 24.55, and Imam managed 178 runs at 22.25 across eight innings. Since January 2025, Pakistan has recorded the worst batting average among all WTC teams at 23.92.
To address these struggles ahead of the third Test beginning September 9 in Birmingham, the management has called up seven replacements. Among the incoming group are three players with prior international experience: Saim Ayub, Abdullah Fazal, and Arafat Minhas. Four uncapped players have also been added to provide fresh options and depth: left-arm fast bowler Mohammad Imran Jnr, wicketkeeper-batter Saad Baig—who earned Player of the Tournament honors in the 2025-26 Quaid-e-Azam Trophy—alongside right-arm pace-bowling all-rounders Mohammad Imran (Imran Randhawa) and Razaullah.
Coaching Staff Swept Aside Before Birmingham Test
The shake-up extends directly into the backroom staff. Test head coach Sarfaraz Ahmed and bowling coach Umar Gul have been released from their roles. White-ball head coach Mike Hesson and bowling coach Ashley Noffke will immediately take charge of the red-ball squad for the third Test against England.
Mike Hesson is scheduled to lead the red-ball squad for the remainder of the current WTC cycle, which includes two matches in Sri Lanka in November and two in New Zealand early next year. While mid-tour coaching overhauls in England are rare, a historical precedent occurred in 2014 when the BCCI appointed Ravi Shastri and his staff mid-tour, though that adjustment followed a 1-3 Test series loss prior to the white-ball matches rather than occurring mid-series.
Updated Pakistan Test Squad
- Babar Azam (captain)
- Abdullah Fazal
- Abdullah Shafique
- Arafat Minhas
- Azan Awais
- Mohammad Abbas
- Mohammad Ali
- Muhammad Imran
- Mohammad Imran Jnr
- Muhammad Ghazi Ghori (wicket-keeper)
- Razaullah
- Saad Baig (wicket-keeper)
- Saim Ayub
- Sajid Khan
- Saud Shakeel
- Shan Masood
- Ubaid Shah
