Pakistan axe seven players and coach Sarfaraz after 2-0 England Test defeat ahead of Edgbaston

The Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) has taken a hard line after two heavy losses in England. Seven players have been released from the touring party, Test head coach Sarfaraz Ahmed and bowling coach Umar Gul have been stood down, and white-ball coach Mike Hesson will take charge for the third Test at Edgbaston from September 9.

England already lead the three-match series 2-0. Pakistan lost the first Test at Headingley by an innings and 103 runs, then went down by 194 runs at Lord’s. In four completed innings, they never reached 200. The series is gone. The last Test is now a chance to stop a whitewash.

PCB confirms mid-tour reset

“The Pakistan Cricket Board has announced that seven players have been released from the Test squad following completion of the Lord’s Test.”

“The players include Mohammad Rizwan, Imam-ul-Haq, Salman Ali Agha, Ali Usman, Aamir Jamal, Muhammad Awais Zafar and Khurram Shahzad.”

“Additionally, Sarfaraz Ahmed and Umar Gul have also been released and will be replaced by Mike Hesson and Ashley Noffke in the backroom staff.”

Hesson, already with Pakistan’s white-ball side, is expected to link up with the Test group in England. Former Australia seamer Noffke joins him as bowling coach. The move comes under PCB chairman Mohsin Naqvi, who is also Pakistan’s interior minister.

Why the senior names were sent home

Rizwan made 61 runs across the two Tests and was still among Pakistan’s better scorers. That says more about the batting than it does about him. His shot selection drew sharp criticism, especially at Lord’s, where he made 7 and 1.

Imam-ul-Haq did not bat at all in the Lord’s Test. The board said he suffered a calf strain while fielding on day one. Scans later pointed to a grade-one tear. He was seen on the outfield on the fourth morning, taped and limping through throwdowns.

Salman Agha’s exit is just as telling. He captained Pakistan in the first Test after Babar Azam was injured, then did not play at Lord’s. The white-ball captain is now on his way home with the others.

Ali Usman, Khurram Shahzad, Aamir Jamal and Awais Zafar complete the seven. Some played. Some did not. All have been released.

Fresh faces called for Birmingham

Batters Saim Ayub and Abdullah Fazal have been added. Ayub has eight Tests. Fazal has two. Five players still uncapped at Test level have also been named: Arafat Minhas, Mohammad Imran Jnr, Saad Baig, Mohammad Imran (also known as Imran Randhawa) and Razaullah. They will travel if UK visas come through in time.

Babar Azam remains captain. Shan Masood, Saud Shakeel, Sajid Khan and the seamers already in England stay in the group.

Pakistan sit at the bottom of the World Test Championship table. This is their 15th defeat in 20 Tests. Sarfaraz had been in the job only a few months. Five losses in six Tests ended that run.

Edgbaston will not change the series. It will show whether a mid-tour clear-out can stop the slide, or whether the problems run deeper than the names sent home.