LAHORE (MNN); The Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) on Monday announced major changes to the national Test squad and coaching staff following Pakistan’s disappointing performances in the ongoing Test series against England.
The decision came after Pakistan suffered a 194-run defeat in the second Test at Lord’s, allowing England to take an unassailable 2-0 lead in the three-match series.
Pakistan had earlier suffered an innings-and-103-run defeat in the opening Test at Headingley.
Seven Players Released
The PCB has released seven players from the Test squad, including wicketkeeper-batter Mohammad Rizwan, opener Imamul Haq and all-rounder Salman Ali Agha.
The other players released are Ali Usman, Aamir Jamal, Muhammad Awais Zafar and Khurram Shahzad.
In their place, the PCB has announced seven replacements, including five players who are yet to make their Test debuts.
New Faces Added to Squad
Test-capped players Saim Ayub and Abdullah Fazal, who have played eight and two Tests respectively, have been recalled to the national squad.
The five uncapped players included in the squad are left-arm spin-bowling all-rounder Arafat Minhas, left-arm fast bowler Mohammad Imran Jr, wicketkeeper-batter Saad Baig, and right-arm pace-bowling all-rounders Mohammad Imran (Imran Randhawa) and Razaullah.
Arafat Minhas has previously represented Pakistan in three One-Day Internationals and four T20 Internationals.
Saad Baig was named Player of the Tournament in the 2025-26 Quaid-i-Azam Trophy.
The newly selected players will join the Pakistan squad ahead of the third and final Test against England, scheduled to begin on September 9 in Birmingham.
Coaching Staff Also Changed
The PCB has also made changes to Pakistan’s Test coaching setup.
Test head coach Sarfaraz Ahmed and bowling coach Umar Gul have been relieved of their duties.
White-ball head coach Mike Hesson and Ashley Noffke will join the Test team’s backroom staff as replacements.
The changes signal a major shake-up in Pakistan’s Test setup as the team looks to avoid a series whitewash in the final match.
Updated Pakistan Squad for Birmingham Test
The revised Pakistan Test squad includes:
Babar Azam (Captain), Abdullah Fazal, Arafat Minhas, Azan Awais, Mohammad Abbas, Mohammad Ali, Muhammad Imran, Mohammad Imran Jr, Muhammad Ghazi Ghori (Wicketkeeper), Razaullah, Saad Baig (Wicketkeeper), Saim Ayub, Sajid Khan, Saud Shakeel, Shan Masood and Ubaid Shah.
The third and final Test will be played at Edgbaston, Birmingham, with Pakistan hoping to secure their first victory of the series.
