The Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) has overhauled its Test squad and coaching staff in the middle of the England tour, sending home seven players along with head coach Sarfaraz Ahmed and bowling coach Umar Gul before the third and final Test at Edgbaston, which starts on September 9. The decision followed back-to-back heavy defeats, with Pakistan losing the opening Test by an innings and 103 runs, and the second by 194 runs, giving England an unassailable 2-0 lead.
Mohammad Rizwan, Imam-ul-Haq, Salman
Agha, Ali Usman, Aamer Jamal, Awais Zafar and Khurram Shahzad were all released from the touring party. Pakistan brought in five uncapped players, Arafat Minhas, Mohammad Imran Jnr, Saad Baig, Mohammad Imran Randhawa and Razaullah, as well as Saim Ayub and Abdullah Fazal, whose combined Test experience amounts to just 10 matches. White-ball head coach Mike Hesson and bowling coach Ashley Noffke were drafted into the Test set-up to fill the coaching void.
On the same day the board announced the overhaul, the PCB issued a show-cause notice to the four-member national selection committee, asking for a written explanation within 24 hours on the reasoning behind the selections of Rizwan and Imam and the process followed in making those decisions.
Why did Mohammad Yousuf criticise the PCB's decision?
Former Pakistan batter Mohammad Yousuf argued that the scale of the mid-tour removals went well beyond any straightforward performance-based rationale. He noted that the replacements arriving in England are not established greats of Pakistan cricket, which in his view exposed the real motivation behind the changes.
"The recent decision by the authorities to recall players and coaching staff from the ongoing tour does not appear to be only performance related. After all, we are not sending legends like Zaheer Abbas, Javed Miandad, Inzamam-ul-Haq, or Saeed Anwar as replacements. Instead, this move reflects the familiar cycle of internal chaos, differences of opinion, and controversies that have long haunted Pakistan cricket. Since the glory of the 1992 World Cup, such turbulence has resurfaced time and again, eroding stability and distracting from the game itself," Yousuf wrote on a post on X (formerly Twitter)
"We have endured such turmoil in different forms many times before, each episode leaving scars on the team's progress and the fans' faith. The lesson is clear! only strong performances and consistent positive results can silence the noise. Pakistan cricket must focus on the field, not the boardroom, if it is to restore credibility and inspire confidence among fans. Success remains the most effective antidote," he added.
The recent decision by the authorities to recall players and coaching staff from the ongoing tour does not appear to be only performance related. After all, we are not sending legends like Zaheer Abbas, Javed Miandad, Inzamam‑ul‑Haq, or Saeed Anwar as replacements. Instead, this…
— Mohammad Yousaf (@yousaf1788) September 2, 2026
What is the status of Misbah-ul-Haq's resignation from the selection committee?
Former Pakistan captain Misbah-ul-Haq submitted his resignation from the national selection committee in response to the PCB's mid-tour decisions. He simultaneously chose to relinquish his position as a batting consultant at the National Cricket Academy in Lahore. As of the latest available reports, the PCB had not accepted either resignation.
Misbah joined the four-member selection panel in March this year, with Aaqib Javed, Sarfaraz Ahmed and Asad Shafiq as fellow selectors. His PCB engagement also included a batting consultancy arrangement requiring 180 days of service per year. In the month before the England tour, he guided the Pakistan Gold side to the title in the 50-over National Champions Cup in Multan, with Shaheen Shah Afridi captaining the team.
Pakistan's Test record provides the broader context for the crisis. The Lord's defeat was their 15th in the last 20 Tests, and the side occupies the bottom position in the ICC World Test Championship 2025-27 standings. Among those released, Rizwan had been Pakistan's highest run-scorer and top batting average holder in Tests from the start of 2024 through to the West Indies tour, while Imam had played only two Tests in that stretch despite strong returns in domestic cricket.
Pakistan revised squad for the third Test against England at Edgbaston
Shan Masood, Saud Shakeel, Babar Azam (Captain), Kamran Ghulam, Mohammad Huraira, Saim Ayub, Abdullah Fazal, Arafat Minhas, Mohammad Imran Jnr, Saad Baig, Mohammad Imran Randhawa, Razaullah, Abrar Ahmed, Naseem Shah, Shaheen Shah Afridi.
