Witnessing the sudden departure of seven players ahead of the final fixture in Birmingham, former England batsman Kevin Pietersen took to social media to mock the heavy turnover. Pietersen directed his remarks toward Pakistan captain Babar Azam, joking about the extensive time it would take to list all squad adjustments during pre match broadcasts. Following a heavy 194 run defeat at Lord’s that handed England an unassailable 2 0 lead in the three match series, the Pakistan Cricket Board initiated a dramatic roster and coaching overhaul.
The updated Pakistan Test squad features Babar Azam as captain alongside Abdullah Fazal, Abdullah Shafique, Arafat Minhas, Azan Awais, Mohammad Abbas, Mohammad Ali, Muhammad Imran, Mohammad Imran Jnr, Muhammad Ghazi Ghori, Razaullah, Saad Baig, Saim Ayub, Sajid Khan, Saud Shakeel, Shan Masood, and Ubaid Shah. Sharing his thoughts on X, Pietersen posted, ‘When a captain is interviewed before every game, the interviewer asks about changes in their team. Could be a v v v v long interview for my buddy, Babar! Maybe the toss should start the night before?? Administrative adjustments matched the player exits, as Test head coach Sarfaraz Ahmed and bowling coach Umar Gul were relieved of their responsibilities. Former Pakistan captain Ramiz Raja voiced surprise over the timing of the decisions, criticizing the board for hitting the panic button mid series and comparing the drastic measures to dismissing a football manager midway through a campaign.
White ball coach Mike Hesson and Ashley Noffke will step in to manage the squad for the third Test starting on September 9.
