Ramiz Raja, a former cricket player and chairman of the Pakistan Cricket Board, has acknowledged that he is unable to defend the current status of Pakistani cricket following the mid-tour removal of seven players and two coaches during the ongoing Test series in England in 2026. The drastic adjustments followed Pakistan’s crushing defeats in the first two Tests, falling behind 2-0 ahead of the third Test on September 9 at Edgbaston, Birmingham.
Muhammad Rizwan, Imam-ul-Haq, Salman Ali Agha, Ali Usman, Aamir Jamal, Muhammad Awais Zafar, and Khurram Shahzad were the seven players sent home in the middle of the trip. Additionally fired were bowling coach Umar Gul and head coach Sarfaraz Ahmed. Ashley Noffke became the new bowling coach, while Mike Hesson was named the new head coach. Saim Ayub, Abdullah Fazal, Arafat Minhas, Saad Baig, Muhammad Randhawa, Razaullah, and Muhammad Imran Jr. were the seven substitute players added to the team.
Why did Pakistan make such drastic adjustments in the middle of the tour?
Pakistan suffered severe losses in their first two Test matches. They were defeated by an innings and 103 runs in the first Test at Headingley and by 194 runs in the second at Lord’s. The Pakistan Cricket Board acted quickly in response to the severity of those losses, dismissing senior players and the coaching staff before to the third Test.
And for a captain, really, to hear the news from relatives and from media, it’s just demoralising,” Ramiz Raja said.
Misbah-ul-Haq, the chief selector, resigned after not being informed over the squad modifications. His resignation had not been accepted by the PCB as of September 1, 2026. The decisions were taken without consulting important members of the setup, which increased the team’s sense of disarray.
What impact did the modifications have on Captain Babar Azam?
Babar Azam, the captain of Pakistan, found out about the team alterations through media sources and family members rather than the PCB directly. The board’s failure to communicate with its own captain attracted a lot of attention and contributed to the criticism of the decision-making process. Ramiz Raja promptly addressed Babar’s predicament. Under these conditions, the first game for the reorganised Pakistan team will be the third Test at Edgbaston.
