Islamabad [Pakistan], September 1 (ANI): Former Pakistan players Saeed Ajmal and Kamran Akmal slammed the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) for "lack of professionalism" after the board announced massive changes to the third Test squad against England at Edgbaston.
Pakistan made major changes to their Test set-up ahead of the third and final Test against England from September 9, replacing almost half of their squad and releasing head coach Sarfaraz Ahmed and bowling coach Umar Gul following heavy defeats in the first two Tests against Three Lions, according to Cricinfo. The changes come after Pakistan suffered a 194-run defeat in the second Test, allowing England to take an unassailable 2-0 lead in the series. In the first Test, Pakistan had lost by an innings margin.
Posting on X, ex-Pakistan spinner Ajmal, who took 447 wickets in 212 appearances for Pakistan, wrote, "Pakistan Cricket Has Become a Gimmick now! Disappointed with the professionalism. #pakistancricket".
Former Pakistan wicketkeeper-batter Kamran Akmal, who made 6,871 runs in 268 matches with 11 centuries, also posted, "Pakistan cricket ki Misaal poori duniya main nahi hai...Is se bara mazak nahi ho sakta during series they made 7 changes including management selection committee members resignations when will we run our cricket with professionalism?".
Also, ex-Pakistan captain Shoaib Malik replied to former England batter Kevin Pietersen's earlier hilarious post about the toss interview getting too long for Babar due to so many changes and the toss to be scheduled a night before the game, saying, "Don't think the broadcasters would be comfortable with that. Need to get player mugshots first."
The Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) have released seven players from the squad, including Mohammad Rizwan, Imam-ul-Haq, Salman Agha, Ali Usman, Aamer Jamal, Awais Zafar and Khurram Shahzad.
Pakistan have brought in five uncapped players along with Saim Ayub and Abdullah Fazal, who have a combined experience of just 10 matches. The five uncapped players added to the squad are Arafat Minhas, Mohammad Imran Jnr, Saad Baig, Mohammad Imran Randhawa and Razaullah. Mike Hesson and Ashley Noffke, who are part of Pakistan's white-ball coaching set-up as head coach and bowling coach respectively, have also joined the Test coaching staff, the report added.
Earlier, former Pakistan captain Misbah-ul-Haq offered his resignation from the Pakistan men's national selection committee following the Pakistan Cricket Board's (PCB) decision to make major changes to the Test squad and coaching staff during the ongoing tour of England, according to Cricinfo.
According to the report, the PCB is yet to accept Misbah's resignation. He has also decided to step down from his role as a batting consultant at the National Cricket Academy in Lahore.
Misbah, who retired as Pakistan's most successful Test captain in 2017, has held several positions within the PCB over the years. He was appointed head coach and chief selector in 2019, before stepping down as chief selector in October 2020 to focus on his coaching responsibilities. He later resigned as head coach in 2021.
In 2023, Misbah returned to the PCB as an advisor under then ad hoc management committee chief Zaka Ashraf. He was subsequently appointed as one of five mentors for the men's Champions Cup in 2024 and also worked with women's domestic teams. Last month, he coached the Pakistan Gold side to victory in the 50-over National Champions Cup in Multan under captain Shaheen Afridi.
Misbah was appointed to the four-member national selection committee in March this year alongside Aaqib Javed, Sarfaraz Ahmed and Asad Shafiq.
He was also working with the PCB under a contract that required him to serve as a batting consultant for 180 days a year.
PCB sought explanations from selectors over the inclusion of Mohammad Rizwan and Imam-ul-Haq.
According to Cricinfo, the notice was issued on Monday, the same day the board announced its decision to send home seven players and two coaches ahead of the third Test at Edgbaston.
The selection committee was asked to submit a written explanation within 24 hours, detailing the reasons behind Rizwan and Imam's selections and the process followed in making the decisions.
From the start of 2024 until the West Indies tour, Rizwan was Pakistan's leading Test run-scorer and also boasted the team's highest batting average. Imam, meanwhile, had featured in only two Tests during that period but had been among the leading run-scorers in domestic cricket.
The defeat at Lord's was Pakistan's 15th in the last 20 Tests. They currently sit at the bottom of the ICC World Test Championship (WTC) 2025-27 standings. The third Test will begin at Edgbaston on September 9, with Pakistan aiming to end the series on a positive note and avoid a 3-0 clean sweep.
Pakistan squad for Birmingham Test against England: Babar Azam (captain), Abdullah Fazal, Arafat Minhas, Azan Awais, Mohammad Abbas, Mohammad Ali, Muhammad Imran, Mohammad Imran Jnr, Muhammad Ghazi Ghori (wk), Razaullah, Saad Baig (wicketkeeper), Saim Ayub, Sajid Khan, Saud Shakeel, Shan Masood, Abdullah Shafique, Ubaid Shah. (ANI)
"When will we run our cricket with professionalism": Former Pakistan players question PCB after massive squad shake-up ahead of Edgbaston Test vs England
