Pakistan Cricket Board Makes Bold Changes After England Defeat
Pakistan’s tour of England has gone from bruising to brutal. Two heavy defeats, a series already lost, and now a sweeping cull of players and coaches as the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) tears into its Test setup ahead of the final match in Birmingham.
On Monday, the PCB released seven members of the Test squad in the middle of the series, including senior names Mohammad Rizwan, Imamul Haq and Salman Ali Agha. The decision comes in the immediate aftermath of a 194‑run hammering at Lord’s, which followed an innings-and-103-run mauling in the first Test at Headingley. England lead the three-match series 2-0 with one to play. The message from Lahore is unmistakable: no one is safe.
Senior men out, new faces in
The PCB confirmed that Rizwan, Imam and Agha have been sent home, along with Ali Usman, Aamir Jamal, Muhammad Awais Zafar and Khurram Shahzad. That is almost an entire second string stripped away in one stroke, but the symbolism runs deeper: Rizwan and Imam, in particular, have been central figures in Pakistan’s red-ball plans.
In their place, Pakistan have turned sharply towards youth and opportunity.
Seven players have been called up, “five uncapped at Test level and two capped players,” the board said in its release. Saim Ayub and Abdullah Fazal, who have eight and two Tests respectively, return to the fold as the only men with prior experience in the format among the incoming group.
Around them, a cluster of hopefuls steps into the Test arena for the first time. Left-arm spin-bowling all-rounder Arafat Minhas, already capped in three ODIs and four T20Is, is promoted after solid work in the white-ball sides. Left-arm quick Mohammad Imran Jr. adds a fresh seam option.
Behind the stumps, the shake-up is even more striking. With Rizwan out, wicketkeeper-batter Saad Baig, player of the tournament in the 2025-26 Quaid-i-Azam Trophy, earns a call-up that has felt inevitable domestically but still lands with a jolt at international level. Two right-arm pace-bowling all-rounders, Mohammad Imran (also known as Imran Randhawa) and Razaullah, complete the list of uncapped inclusions.
All seven will link up with the squad before the third Test at Edgbaston, scheduled for 9 September in Birmingham. For some, it will be a first taste of England. For others, a sudden shot at salvaging a sinking tour.
Coaching clear-out in the middle of a series
The PCB’s overhaul does not stop at the dressing room door. Test head coach Sarfaraz Ahmed and bowling coach Umar Gul have also been relieved of their duties during the tour, an unusually drastic move between matches in a marquee series.
Into the gap step white-ball head coach Mike Hesson and assistant Ashley Noffke, who will now double up on Test responsibilities for the Birmingham match. It is a short-term fix, but it underlines the urgency of the board’s response after England’s dominance in Leeds and London.
The shift raises questions about continuity and planning, yet it also hands Hesson and Noffke an immediate, high-pressure audition with a remodelled squad and a captain under scrutiny.
Babar’s new-look squad for Birmingham
Out of the wreckage, a very different Pakistan squad emerges for the final Test. Babar Azam remains captain, but the group around him has a distinctly experimental feel, a blend of familiar names and fresh bets on potential:
- Babar Azam (captain)
- Abdullah Fazal
- 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
It is a squad that hints at transition as much as reaction. Veterans like Mohammad Abbas offer control and experience, while younger players such as Saim Ayub and Saud Shakeel carry the burden of Pakistan’s future in the format.
The series is gone. England have already banked the trophy. What remains for Pakistan in Birmingham is something different: a chance to see who can stand up when the scoreboard and the narrative are both against them, and who might still be part of the next version of this Test side.
