Pakistan have sacked head coach Sarfaraz Ahmed and sent seven players home in a dramatic response to back-to-back Test thrashings by England, the Pakistan Cricket Board announced Monday.
The tourists lost the series opener at Headingley by an innings and 103 runs, then fell by 194 runs at Lord’s on Sunday, handing England an unassailable 2-0 lead in the three-match series with one Test remaining.
A Dramatic Overhaul
The PCB has brought in white-ball coach Mike Hesson to replace Ahmed as head coach. Former Australia seamer Ashley Noffke takes over as bowling coach from Umar Gul.
Seven players have been sent home. Five featured in the series so far: wicketkeeper Mohammad Rizwan, opener Imam-ul-Haq, Salman Ali Agha, Ali Usman, and Khurram Shahzad. Two more, Aamir Jamal and Muhammad Awais Jafar, departed without playing a single match.
Imam-ul-Haq was unable to bat in either innings at Lord’s after suffering a calf strain while fielding on the first day. Salman Ali Agha had captained the side in the opening Test in the absence of the injured Babar Azam, before being dropped for the second match.
Fresh Faces Called Up
The selection committee has called up seven new players, including five uncapped talents, alongside experienced batters Saim Ayub and Abdullah Fazal.
The newcomers include all-rounders Mohammad Imran and Razaullah, wicketkeeper Said Baig, left-arm fast bowler Mohammad Imran Jr, and spin-bowling all-rounder Arafat Minhas.
A Coach Under Pressure From the Start
Sarfaraz Ahmed, a former Pakistan captain, was appointed Test coach on April 18. His tenure began poorly, with a 0-2 series loss to Bangladesh, before Pakistan managed to draw 1-1 in the West Indies.
Under his charge, Pakistan lost five of six Tests, a run of results that had already drawn scrutiny before the humiliation in England pushed the board into action.
Team in Turmoil On and Off the Field
The changes come at a turbulent time for the Pakistan setup, which has faced controversy alongside its results. During the second Test, the Pakistan Cricket Board reportedly threatened to cancel the remainder of the match and the tour entirely, a threat issued during the lunch break on the opening day.
The team has been labeled one of Pakistan’s worst sides in decades following the back-to-back defeats, prompting what officials have described as drastic action ahead of the tour’s conclusion.
What Comes Next
The restructured squad is set to face England in the third and final Test beginning September 9 at Edgbaston in Birmingham. The touring party is also scheduled to meet King Charles at Clarence House during the week, adding a rare bright spot to an otherwise difficult tour.
With the series already lost, Pakistan will be aiming to avoid a series whitewash and give the new-look coaching staff and squad a foundation to build on heading into future assignments.
Why It Matters
The scale of the shakeup, sacking a head coach and sending home seven players in the middle of a live series, is an extraordinary move even by Pakistan cricket’s history of rapid, dramatic decisions following poor results. Whether the changes stabilize the team’s fortunes at Edgbaston or simply mark another chapter in a turbulent period for Pakistan Test cricket remains to be seen.
