Why did the PCB replace seven players and coaches during the series against England?

The PCB made these changes due to a series of poor performances by the team, culminating in losses in the first two Tests against England, and aimed to stabilize the squad.

What were the reasons behind sending Mohammad Rizwan and Imam-ul-Haq back from England?

Rizwan and Imam were sent back not only due to their underwhelming performances but also because of behavioral issues within the team.

How is the PCB planning to address the instability within the Pakistan cricket team?

The PCB plans to restructure the team by evaluating current players through committee discussions and may appoint a new selection committee to ensure better decision-making.

‘Is Babar Azam the next target?’ PCB accused of running Pakistan team by ‘remote control’ after replacing 7 players

Babar Azam is under a lot of pressure heading into the next Test against England in Birmingham.

Updated on: Sep 5, 2026, 10:25:23 IST

Written by Vishesh Roy

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The Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) has been accused of running the senior men's national team from a remote control, and its chief, Mohsin Naqvi, was called out for failing to empower the coaches and captains. The criticism continues to mount for the cricket board after it pulled off an unprecedented move, replacing seven players and two coaches in the squad for the ongoing series against England.

Babar Azam is under a lot of pressure heading into the next Test (Action Images via Reuters)

Following losses in the first and second Tests against England, Pakistan, led by Babar Azam, was already under a lot of pressure, and the PCB stirred the pot further by sending players like Mohammad Rizwan and Salman Ali Agha back home. Test coach Sarfaraz Ahmed was also not spared and was replaced by white-ball coach Mike Hesson for the third and final Test in Birmingham.

Former Pakistan captain Rashid Latif took to social media, questioning the PCB behind sending Sarfaraz and bowling coach Umar Gul to the UK in the first place if the intention was always to control everything themselves.

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Also Read: Pakistan sent Mohammad Rizwan and Imam-ul-Haq back from England due to their behaviour issues: Report

He then gave the examples of Jason Gillespie and Gary Kirsten, who earlier resigned from their posts after not being given freedom by the PCB and Aaqib Javed (director of high performance and one of the selectors). Latif didn't stop there as he hinted that skipper Babar might be the next name on the chopping block.

"If the team had to be run by remote control, then why were Sarfaraz and Umar Gul sent? Why were the selection powers taken away from Gary Kirsten and Jason Gillespie? And if captain Babar Azam wasn’t listening, the captain should have been sacked — so why were Sarfaraz and Umar Gul sent back instead? Is Babar Azam the next target?” Latif wrote on X.

Criticism mounts

The PCB has been lambasted left, right and centre for replacing seven players midway through a series. The likes of Michael Atherton, Nasser Hussain, Ramiz Raja, Basit Ali and Shahid Afridi have all hit out at the move, saying it will create more instability within the squad.

Earlier, PCB chief Mohsin Naqvi defended the move, saying the PCB took such a drastic and harsh step for the betterment of the team. Pakistan have been lacklustre to say the least in the Test format and are at the bottom of the World Test Championship (WTC) standings.

Pakistan have never been in with a shout of reaching the WTC final, and this is the fourth time in a row that the side will finish in the bottom half of the standings.

Earlier this year, Pakistan once again fiddled around with Test captaincy, replacing Shan Masood with Babar. The call was taken after Bangladesh defeated Pakistan 2-0. Under Babar, Pakistan drew the two-match series against the West Indies but things quickly went south in England.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Vishesh Roy
Vishesh Roy is a sports journalist with a strong focus on cricket. He began his career at Asian News International (ANI), where he covered a range of high-profile events, including the India Open, Legends Cricket League, the England–India Test series in Ahmedabad in 2021, and the inauguration of the Narendra Modi Stadium. During his tenure at ANI, he also reported extensively on domestic cricket, covering several Ranji Trophy and Vijay Hazare Trophy matches across the country. While cricket remains his primary beat, Vishesh has also reported on tennis, football and WWE. After a stint of over three years at ANI, Vishesh moved to NDTV, where he gained hands-on experience in digital-first journalism, with a particular emphasis on live blogs and real-time news reporting. He joined Hindustan Times in October 2024 and quickly established himself with a series of exclusive interviews and source-driven stories. Ahead of the IPL 2025 auction, Hindustan Times was the first to report that the two-day event would be held in Saudi Arabia. In the early months of his tenure, Vishesh secured interviews with leading cricketers, including Pat Cummins, Shreyas Iyer, Nitish Kumar Reddy and Rashid Latif. He has also closely tracked the rise of emerging talents such as Vaibhav Suryavanshi and Priyansh Arya by speaking to their current and childhood coaches. His background in on-field reporting has helped Hindustan Times Digital break exclusive stories on major developments, including Virat Kohli’s return to the Ranji and Vijay Hazare Trophy, IPL scheduling, and the T20 World Cup controversy involving Bangladesh and Pakistan.Read More

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