Pakistan Cricket Board Makes Bold Changes After England Defeats
The Pakistan Cricket Board has detonated the nuclear option.
After back-to-back hammerings at Leeds and Lord’s, Pakistan have sent seven players and both senior coaches home on the eve of the third and final Test against England, opting for a radical reset rather than a quiet post-mortem.
On Monday, the PCB announced that Mohammad Rizwan, Imam-ul-Haq, Salman Ali Agha, Ali Usman, Aamir Jamal, Muhammad Awais Zafar and Khurram Shahzad have all been released from the touring party ahead of the Birmingham Test starting September 9.
The clear-out did not stop there. Head coach Sarfaraz Ahmed and bowling coach Umar Gul have also been relieved of their duties mid-series, with Mike Hesson and Ashley Noffke parachuted in as their replacements.
It is the kind of sweeping overhaul usually reserved for the end of a disastrous tour. Pakistan have chosen to do it with one Test still to play.
New Faces, New Direction
Seven players come in, some with reputations already forming, others virtually unknown outside domestic circles.
- Saim Ayub
- Abdullah Fazal
- Arafat Minhas
- Saad Baig
- Muhammad Randhawa
- Razaullah
- Muhammad Imran Jnr
will all link up with the squad in Birmingham, as Pakistan attempt to salvage pride from a series that has slipped away with alarming speed.
Five of the incoming group have already tasted international cricket. Two have not represented Pakistan at any level.
Ayub, a left-handed top-order batter with flair and range, has eight Tests behind him. Fazal has played two. Both now find themselves thrust into a rebuilding mission rather than a gentle introduction to the format.
Arafat Minhas, a left-arm spin-bowling all-rounder, has featured in three ODIs and four T20Is. His inclusion signals a desire for more balance and variety, especially after Pakistan’s attack looked one-dimensional and blunt in the first two Tests.
The remaining quartet underline just how bold this pivot is.
Muhammad Imran Jnr, a left-arm fast bowler, adds another angle and fresh legs to the seam unit. Wicketkeeper-batter Saad Baig arrives with serious domestic pedigree, having been named Player of the Tournament in the 2025–26 Quaid-e-Azam Trophy.
Then there are the two complete wildcards: right-arm pace-bowling all-rounders Muhammad Imran — also known as Imran Randhawa — and Razaullah. Both are yet to play for Pakistan at any level. Both now walk into a high-pressure Test environment against England, away from home, with the series already gone but reputations on the line.
Coaching Shake-Up
If the player cull hints at frustration, the coaching changes underline it.
Sarfaraz Ahmed, installed as head coach, and Umar Gul, in charge of the bowling unit, have both been sent home after Pakistan’s heavy defeats at Headingley and Lord’s. In their place, the PCB has turned to Mike Hesson, a seasoned international coach, and Ashley Noffke to oversee the bowling.
It is an abrupt change of voice and philosophy midway through a tour. Pakistan, often accused of being slow to react, have swung the pendulum the other way.
Whether this jolt brings clarity or chaos will become apparent in Birmingham.
A Squad Recast
The updated Test squad now reads:
- Babar Azam (captain)
- Abdullah Fazal
- Arafat Minhas
- Azan Awais
- Mohammad Abbas
- Mohammad Ali
- Muhammad Imran
- Mohammad Imran Jnr
- Muhammad Ghazi Ghori (wicketkeeper)
- Razaullah
- Saad Baig (wicketkeeper)
- Saim Ayub
- Sajid Khan
- Saud Shakeel
- Shan Masood
- Ubaid Shah
Babar stays at the helm, surrounded by a dressing room that suddenly looks very different from the one that started the series. Established names like Rizwan and Imam-ul-Haq have been sent back, replaced by a blend of promise and inexperience.
The message from the PCB is unmistakable: the performances at Leeds and Lord’s were unacceptable, and no one is untouchable.
Now the question hangs over Birmingham: is this the start of a new cycle for Pakistan cricket, or a desperate roll of the dice in a series that has already slipped away?
