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Pakistan Makes Dramatic Changes After England Defeats

The Pakistan Cricket Board has detonated the reset button.

After back-to-back hammerings at Leeds and Lord’s, Pakistan have taken the extraordinary step of sending seven players and two members of the coaching staff home ahead of the third and final Test against England, starting September 9 in Birmingham.

On a single day, the touring party was stripped and rebuilt.

Seven Players Out, Seven In

Mohammad Rizwan, Imam-ul-Haq, Salman Ali Agha, Ali Usman, Aamir Jamal, Muhammad Awais Zafar and Khurram Shahzad have all been released from the Test squad, the PCB confirmed on Monday.

In their place comes a new-look group: Saim Ayub, Abdullah Fazal, Arafat Minhas, Saad Baig, Muhammad Randhawa, Razaullah and Mohammad Imran Jnr.

It is a bold, almost ruthless cull. Five of the incoming players have already tasted international cricket. Two of them have not represented Pakistan at any level.

Muhammad Randhawa and Razaullah arrive as complete unknowns on the global stage, parachuted into a high-pressure Test series in England with no prior international exposure. It is as big a gamble as it sounds.

Coaching Shake-Up Mid-Series

The clear-out is not limited to the playing XI.

Head coach Sarfaraz Ahmed and bowling coach Umar Gul have also been released from their roles mid-tour. The PCB has turned to Mike Hesson as head coach and Ashley Noffke as bowling coach for the final Test.

Changing the coaching brains trust between the second and third Tests of an away series is almost unheard of. Yet after two heavy defeats, Pakistan have chosen disruption over continuity, shock therapy over slow adjustment.

Youth, Form and a Roll of the Dice

The new names tell a story of where Pakistan want to go — and how fast.

Saim Ayub, already a familiar figure, has eight Tests behind him. Top-order batter Abdullah Fazal has played two. Left-arm spin-bowling all-rounder Arafat Minhas has featured in three ODIs and four T20Is, now stepping into the longest format with the spotlight firmly on him.

Then come the fresh edges of the squad.

Saad Baig, a wicketkeeper-batter, forced his way into the reckoning with a standout domestic season, crowned as Player of the Tournament in the 2025-26 Quaid-e-Azam Trophy. His inclusion is a clear nod to form and temperament under pressure.

Mohammad Imran Jnr, a left-arm fast bowler, adds variety and pace, while the right-arm pace-bowling all-rounders Muhammad Imran (also known as Imran Randhawa) and Razaullah bring seam options with batting depth. For Randhawa and Razaullah, this is not just a call-up; it is a leap into the deep end.

The new arrivals will link up with the squad in Birmingham as Pakistan try to salvage pride — and perhaps a new direction — from a bruising tour.

The Squad That Will Face England

The updated Pakistan Test squad now reads:

  • Babar Azam (captain)
  • Abdullah Fazal
  • Arafat Minhas
  • Azan Awais
  • Mohammad Abbas
  • Mohammad Ali
  • Muhammad Imran
  • Muhammad Imran Jnr
  • Mohammad Ghazi Ghori (wicketkeeper)
  • Razaullah
  • Saad Baig (wicketkeeper)
  • Saim Ayub
  • Sajid Khan
  • Saud Shakeel
  • Shan Masood
  • Ubaid Shah

Two heavy defeats have forced Pakistan into a corner. Birmingham will reveal whether this radical shake-up is the start of a new cycle or the desperate swing of a team trying to stop a slide in real time.

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