Pakistan have hit the reset button after a 2-0 Test series loss to England. After two heavy defeats, the Pakistan Cricket Board is preparing a sweeping shake-up before the third and final Test at Edgbaston, with white-ball coach Mike Hesson set to take charge of the Test side and as many as six players being called up from Pakistan, according to sources. Mohammad Rizwan is reportedly being sent home after a poor run with the bat, while Imam-ul-Haq is also expected to return to Pakistan, with his calf injury set to be assessed.
Saim Ayub and Arafat Minhas are among the players summoned, with the remaining replacements expected to join once their visas are cleared.
The scale of the reaction tells its own story because Pakistan have been outplayed in both Tests. At Headingley, England won by an innings and 103 runs. At Lord’s, they won by 194 runs to seal the series 2-0. Pakistan were bowled out for 110 in their first innings and 194 in the second, as Ollie Robinson, Josh Tongue and Jofra Archer repeatedly exposed their problems against seam bowling.
And now the coaching structure is being changed for the final Test. Hesson, currently Pakistan’s white-ball head coach, is reportedly set to oversee the Test side at Edgbaston. Sarfaraz Ahmed is expected to remain around the squad, but his position as red-ball coach is under serious scrutiny. The PCB has not formally announced the change.
The timing is striking. Hesson and High-Performance Director Aqib Javed had already travelled to London before the Lord’s defeat. The PCB’s stated position was that the pair were there for a dinner hosted by King Charles for the Pakistan team on September 2. PCB chairman Mohsin Naqvi, COO Sumair Ahmed and PSL chief Salman Naseer are also expected in London, with a PSL meeting scheduled for September 1.
That has raised eyebrows inside Pakistan cricket, particularly with the team in the middle of a disastrous Test tour.
The King Charles engagement was planned before the series, and Buckingham Palace has confirmed the King is expected to meet the Pakistan team this week. The reception is not a new response to Pakistan’s performances.
But while a sizeable contingent of PCB officials is in England for the reception and PSL-related business, the cricket team is scrambling for answers after being comprehensively beaten twice.
Pakistan now have just over a week to rebuild before the third Test begins at Edgbaston on September 9.