The Pakistan Cricket Board’s shocking decision to sack seven players, including Mohammad Rizwan and Imam-ul-Haq, and send two coaches home before the series against England ended sent shockwaves through the cricketing world. Head coach Sarfaraz Ahmed and bowling coach Umar Gul were summoned home by the Pakistan Cricket Board and replaced by white-ball head coach Mike Hesson and Ashley Noffke, respectively, for the third and final Test in Birmingham, starting on September 9.
Wicketkeeper Mohammad Rizwan, injured opening batter Imam-ul-Haq, first-Test captain Salman Ali Agha, spinner Ali Usman, and pacer Khurram Shahzad, all of whom played in the second-Test defeat at Lord’s on Sunday, were also sent home. All-rounder Aamir Jamal and batter Awais Zafar joined them without getting a game in England.
Now, captain Babar Azam has said that he had no knowledge of the sackings. “I was not consulted. It was news to me as well. I only found out about all these things later. PCB made the decisions, so they can explain it to you better,” Babar Azam said.
If Babar’s claim is true, it means the PCB took a unilateral decision. Pakistan pushed the panic button after heavy defeats in the first two Tests in England by replacing seven players and two coaches on Monday.
Babar Azam’s second stint as Test captain also could not turn around Pakistan’s Test fortunes after Shan Masood was sacked in May. Babar drew the series against the West Indies 1-1, but England have taken an unassailable 2-0 lead in the three-match series. Pakistan have lost 10 of their last 11 away Tests.
A finger injury ruled Babar out of the first Test in Leeds, and Agha led the side, but he was dropped for the second Test.
Pakistan have yet to cross the 200-run mark in four innings of the series, losing by an innings and 103 runs in Leeds and by 194 runs at Lord’s.
The selectors recalled opening batter Saim Ayub, who has played eight Tests, and Abdullah Fazal, who was withdrawn from the England tour after suffering an injury in the West Indies.
The five uncapped players travelling to England include spin-bowling all-rounder Arafat Minhas, fast bowler Mohammad Imran Jr., wicketkeeper Saad Baig, and fast-bowling all-rounders Mohammad Imran and Razaullah.
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