Pakistan spring major Test shake-up, release seven players

There appears to be a major meltdown in the Pakistan team. In a surprise move, the Pakistan team management has released seven players, including former white-ball captain Salman Agha, from the touring Test side in England.

The Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) has effected a sweeping reshuffle, cracking the whip on players for various reasons, ranging from fitness and form to disciplinary issues.

Pakistan are 0-2 down in the ongoing Test series in England. They have lost five of the last six Tests, with the lone win coming against West Indies earlier this month.

According to sources close to the team management in England, Mohammad Rizwan, Imam-ul-Haq, Ali Usman, Aamir Jamal, Muhammad Awais Zafar and Khurram Shahzad have also been released along with Agha. Pakistan, of course, are already out of contention for a place in the WTC final.

The team management has sent call-ups to seven players for the third Test, beginning September 9 in Birmingham. Among those seven, three players - Saim Ayub, Abdullah Fazal and Arafat Minhas - have already played for Pakistan. However, there are also four uncapped players amongst the replacements - Mohammad Imran Jnr, Saad Baig, Mohammad Imran (Imran Randhawa) and Razaullah.

There is also a shake-up in the coaching staff. Mike Hesson, who has been handling the white-ball side, has been asked to take charge of the Test squad alongside Ashley Noffke. The New Zealander is believed to be in England already and is expected to link up with the side soon.

Hesson will coach the red ball squad for the remainder of the WTC matches in the current cycle — two in Sri Lanka in November and two more in New Zealand early next year. Current Test coach Sarfaraz Ahmed and bowling coach Umar Gul have been released.

The shake-up in the coaching staff, of course, is not unprecedented for a touring side in England. The BCCI did something similar in 2014, when it appointed Ravi Shastri and his team of Bharat Arun, R Sridhar and Sanjay Bangar in the middle of the tour in England, effectively sidelining the coaching staff headed by Duncan Fletcher. However, this was done after the Test series (1-3 loss), preceeding the white-ball series, while Pakistan have done this in the middle of the Test series.

As for the players, the senior trio of Agha, Rizwan and Imam have been totally underwhelming of late. Rizwan has scored 283 runs in 11 innings at an average of 25.72, with just two half-centuries. Agha has been no better, scoring 221 runs at 24.55, while Imam has scored 178 runs at 22.25 in eight innings.

Pakistan have the worst batting average (23.92) among the WTC teams since January 2025. No wonder, they are at the bottom of the WTC table, having gone winless in their last 18 Tests in SENA countries since 2018, losing 16 and drawing two. Their last such win came at Lord’s in May 2018.

The Lord’s defeat on Sunday was their 10th loss in their last 11 away Tests, and it also saw their Test win-loss ratio dip below 1 for the first time since 1987. They now have 153 wins against 154 losses in 473 matches, giving them a win-loss ratio of 0.993.

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