Pakistan captain Babar Azam said he was not consulted before the Pakistan Cricket Board sent seven players home and changed the coaching staff during the Test tour of England. His remarks on Tuesday, September 8, came a day after the board confirmed an internal disciplinary inquiry.
Speaking before the third Test at Edgbaston, Babar said: ‘It was news to me as well. I also came to know about it later.’ His comments were reported by The Times of India.
The captain’s account placed him outside the decision-making process behind the changes. Pakistan enter the final match trailing England 2-0, with a new coaching team and several replacements in their squad.
Seven players released after Lord’s defeat
The players sent home were Mohammad Rizwan, Imam-ul-Haq, Salman Ali Agha, Aamir Jamal, Khurram Shahzad, Ali Usman and Awais Zafar. The changes were announced on August 31, following Pakistan’s defeat in the second Test.
England won the opener at Headingley by an innings and 103 runs and the Lord’s match by 194 runs. Pakistan failed to reach 200 in any of their four innings, although Saud Shakeel made 97 at Lord’s, according to Reuters.
The same report identified Imam’s injury as a left calf tear. The squad announcement did not establish that every released player was accused of a disciplinary offence.
PCB confirms internal inquiry
PCB media director Amir Mir confirmed the investigation on Monday, September 7. The announcement followed reports about discipline and conduct during the tour, but did not identify specific allegations against individual players.
Mir said: ‘The PCB handles such matters in accordance with its standard procedures.’ The statement was reported by The Indian Express.
The board had not publicly explained whether all seven departures were connected to the inquiry. Their removal from the squad and the announcement of an investigation do not, by themselves, establish misconduct.
Hesson takes charge for final Test
Head coach Sarfaraz Ahmed and bowling coach Umar Gul were also removed. Pakistan’s white-ball coach Mike Hesson and former Australia seamer Ashley Noffke took charge for the final Test, The Indian Express reported.
The replacement players included Saim Ayub and Abdullah Fazal, alongside Arafat Minhas, Mohammad Imran Junior, Saad Baig, Mohammad Imran Randhawa and Razaullah. Several arrived with no previous Test experience.
Former Pakistan coach Jason Gillespie addressed the treatment of the outgoing players in an interview with The Australian, carried by Reuters on September 4.
Gillespie said: ‘The players who were sacked heard it through family and friends and the media.’ He added: ‘How disrespectful is that?’
Gillespie coached Pakistan from April to December 2024. Reuters reported that Pakistan had employed six Test coaches in three years.
Babar available for Edgbaston
Babar is available to lead Pakistan after recovering from a fever that caused him to miss training earlier in the week, according to The Times of India’s September 8 report.
The third Test is scheduled for September 9-13 at Edgbaston. As of the latest reporting, the PCB inquiry remained open, with no timetable for its completion announced, according to The Guardian.