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Cricket PlayersPakistan players had no idea: Family messages revealed PCB's 'frustration' had exploded into 'full-blown upheaval'
The upheaval came a day after Pakistan suffered a harrowing 194-run defeat at Lord's, conceding the three-match series 0-2.
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Once world beaters, Pakistan cricket has long descended into chaos across formats. In Tests, in particular, the side has fallen to the bottom of the World Test Championship table in the current cycle, managing just two wins in eight games. But on Monday evening in London, the team was reduced to utter "shock and confusion" when nearly half of the side, along with two coaches, were released from the squad right in the middle of the Test tour of England.
The upheaval came a day after Pakistan suffered a harrowing 194-run defeat at Lord's, conceding the three-match series 0-2. It was their sixth loss in the WTC cycle.
In a drastic and unprecedented move, Pakistan removed seven players — Mohammad Rizwan, Imam-ul-Haq, Salman Agha, Ali Usman, Aamer Jamal, Awais Zafar and Khurram Shahzad — from the squad. They were replaced by Saim Ayub, Abdullah Fazal and five other uncapped players. Sarfaraz Ahmed and Umar Gul, their head coach and bowling coach respectively, were also released from their duties ahead of the third Test, which begins on September 9, with their white-ball counterparts, Mike Hesson and Ashley Noffke, sent to England to take charge.
Deep Dive
According to a report in the UK's Telegraph, the seven players were not even aware of their fate until they began receiving messages from friends and family on Monday evening. "Shocked and confused" by the messages, they were then sent social media posts of the PCB's statement. Some were out in London spending their day off, while the rest were at the team hotel.
"At around 5pm on Monday, Pakistan players began receiving messages from friends and family, asking if they knew what was going on. The players, who were wandering around London on a day off or at the team hotel, replied that they had no idea what they meant," the report said. "Team management had not told them beforehand."
Pakistan have made sweeping changes in the past, but this was chaotic at its worst, with the move coming right in the middle of a series. Even more shocking was that two of the seven players — Jamal and Zafar — had not featured in any of the matches. It was only last month that Jamal was recalled to the Test fold for the tours of the West Indies and England. Both were used in the first Test against the West Indies in Tarouba, with Zafar making his debut in the format.
Meanwhile, sending back Usman was equally intriguing given that he had bagged his maiden five-wicket haul in the second innings at Headingley. He became the first visiting spinner to do so at the venue since 1972.
The report further said there had been speculation about potential changes, but it did not take long for those whispers to escalate into a "full-blown upheaval", with the scale of the decision stunning the players, fans and Pakistan cricket observers, with many branding it an irrational move.
"The PCB’s frustration appears to have been simmering for some time and the events of the series — both on and off the field — pushed the board into a reaction which blindsided the players," the report said.
The report also pointed out that there had been underlying tension between the players and the board, which deteriorated significantly as the tour progressed and peaked after the two crushing defeats against England, leaving several senior players under fire.
PCB furious with Imam's injury reports
The PCB has been particularly furious with how Imam-ul-Haq's injury situation unfolded, with speculation that he faked it. The development came amid reports that he had allegedly faked injuries in the past, including during the 2022 Multan Test and the 2025 New Zealand tour. In the wake of those murmurs, the PCB has ordered a probe into the matter.
Rizwan has also been in the firing line. It is understood that the PCB is unhappy with his influence in the dressing room, feeling that he has become a disruptive presence. Moreover, his batting returns have done little to favour him. He scored 62 runs in four innings in England and has scored just one century in Tests in the last four years.
