LONDON : Pakistan have made sweeping changes to their squad and coaching staff for the third and final Test against England, replacing seven players and bringing in five uncapped players after a 194-run defeat at Lord’s sealed a 2-0 series loss.
The changes are unusually extensive for a dead rubber. Saim Ayub and Abdullah Fazal have also been recalled, despite having only 10 Test appearances between them. White-ball head coach Mike Hesson and bowling coach Ashley Noffke will join the Test setup, replacing head coach Sarfaraz Ahmed and bowling coach Umar Gul.
Mohammad Rizwan, Imam-ul-Haq, Salman Agha, Ali Usman, Aamer Jamal, Awais Zafar and Khurram Shahzad have been released.
Usman’s omission is particularly surprising after he took his maiden five-wicket haul in the second innings at Headingley, becoming the first visiting spinner since 1972 to achieve the feat at the seam-friendly venue.
Rizwan has also faced scrutiny over his batting. He scored 7 and 1 at Lord’s and 12 and 41 at Headingley, although his wicketkeeping remained a positive.
Imam, meanwhile, missed both Pakistan innings at Lord’s after suffering a grade-one calf tear. His appearance on the field before the fourth day’s play, when he took part in gentle throwdowns with his injured leg heavily strapped, drew criticism.
Agha was dropped for the Lord’s Test after deputising as captain at Headingley, while Ayub returns after a rehabilitation programme for an ankle injury. He recently scored a century in the Caribbean Premier League but has played only two first-class matches since his last Test in January 2025.
Among the newcomers, Arafat Minhas has already played ODI cricket, while wicketkeeper-batter Saad Baig was the leading run-scorer and player of the tournament in the latest Quaid-e-Azam Trophy.
The third Test begins at Edgbaston on Sept. 9. Pakistan’s latest defeat was their 15th in their last 20 Tests and leaves them bottom of the World Test Championship standings.
