PCB Sends 7 Players and 2 Coaches Home After Series Loss to England

The Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) has taken an unprecedented step following a heavy 194-run defeat against England at Lord’s. After losing the first two Tests and the series, Pakistan has sent seven players and two top coaches home ahead of the final match at Edgbaston.

Pakistan lost the opening two Tests by wide margins, getting bowled out for under 200 runs in all four innings. Sitting at the bottom of the World Test Championship standings, the board opted for a drastic mid-series change.

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 take over the Test coaching duties for the third match starting September 9.

Seven Players Sent Home

The PCB dropped seven Pakistan cricket team players from the UK tour:

• Mohammad Rizwan: Struggled with the bat, scoring low runs at Lord’s and Headingley despite sharp glovework.
• Imam-ul-Haq: Suffered a left calf tear during the first Test and faced heavy criticism for net sessions that analysts called mere optics.
• Salman Ali Agha: Dropped due to declining batting form after captaining at Headingley.
• Ali Usman: Sent home despite taking a historic five-wicket haul at Headingley.
• Khurram Shahzad: Released following the team’s seam struggles.
• Aamir Jamal & Muhammad Awais Zafar: Sent home without playing a single match on the tour.

Seven Replacements and Five Uncapped Faces

To fill the gaps, the board called up seven new players, including five uncapped talents:

• Experienced Recalls: Batters Saim Ayub and Abdullah Fazal rejoin the squad.
• Uncapped Newcomers: All-rounder Arafat Minhas, left-arm fast bowler Mohammad Imran Jr, wicketkeeper Saad Baig, pace-all-rounder Mohammad Imran (Randhawa), and all-rounder Razaullah join the team.

Former PCB chairman Ramiz Raja criticized the moves on BBC Radio 5 Live, stating that the sweeping changes show panic and hurt team confidence.