Mammoth defeats in the opening two encounters mean Pakistan have already lost the three-match series in emphatic fashion. Pakistan will try to salvage something from the wreckage of a woeful tour of England with an upset victory in the third Test at Edgbaston starting on Wednesday. But their response to a 194-run loss in the second Test at Lord’s — which followed an innings reverse in the series opener at Headingley — surprised even longstanding observers of Pakistan’s often volatile cricket scene.
I don’t think anyone wants this to happen in the middle of a series.”
Salman Ali Agha — Pakistan’s captain at Headingley when Babar Azam was injured — and left-arm spinner Ali Usman, who took a five-wicket haul in that match, were among those told to leave. No wonder Hesson said last week: “The guys are probably more used to a little bit of chaos than I am.
The PCB subsequently announced Monday an investigation into the squad’s conduct in England. Hesson, a former head coach of his native New Zealand, added: “From my perspective, it is about putting a balanced squad together, not only for this Test, so we actually have some variety in our attack. Azhar Ali, a member of the Pakistan side that topped the Test world rankings a decade ago, said much of the blame for the current debacle rests with Aaqib Javed, the PCB’s high performance director since 2024.
“Every decision he makes backfires and he then says: ‘It’s not me'”, former Pakistan captain Ali told the Guardian, with Jason Gillespie, an ex-Pakistan coach, saying Javed needed to “look at himself in the mirror”. England captain Joe Root, second in Test cricket’s list of all-time run-scorers, said after Lord’s that a combination of seam-friendly pitches, overcast skies and responsive cricket balls had created a “perfect storm” for batsmen on both sides.
