Ramiz Raja, former Pakistan cricketer and chairman of the Pakistan Cricket Board, has stated that he is unable to defend Pakistan cricket after seven players and two coaches were removed in the middle of the present Test series in England in 2026.
The significant changes occurred after Pakistan lost the first two Tests, falling 2-0 ahead of the third Test on September 9 at Edgbaston, Birmingham.
And for a captain, really, to hear the news from relatives and from media, it’s just demoralising,” Ramiz Raja said.
Mohammad Rizwan, Imam-ul-Haq, Salman Ali Agha, Ali Usman, Aamir Jamal, Muhammad Awais Zafar, and Khurram Shahzad were the seven players who were sent home midway through the tour.
Head coach Sarfaraz Ahmed and bowling coach Umar Gul were both fired. Mike Hesson was named the replacement head coach, with Ashley Noffke taking over as bowling coach.
The squad included seven replacement players: Saim Ayub, Abdullah Fazal, Arafat Minhas, Saad Baig, Muhammad Randhawa, Razaullah, and Muhammad Imran Jnr.
Why did Pakistan make such drastic mid-tour changes?
Pakistan suffered severe defeats in its first two Tests. They lost the first Test at Headingley by an innings and 103 runs, and the second at Lord’s by 194 runs.
The severity of those defeats forced the Pakistan Cricket Board to act quickly, replacing senior players and coaching staff prior to the third Test.
Misbah-ul-Haq, the chief selector, resigned after not being consulted on squad changes. On September 1, 2026, the PCB had not accepted his resignation. The decisions were taken without alerting important figures in the setup, adding to the team’s sense of disorganisation.
How have the modifications affected Captain Babar Azam?
Pakistan captain Babar Azam learnt about the team changes from media stories and relatives, rather than directly from the PCB. The board’s lack of communication with its own skipper received substantial attention and fuelled criticism of how the decisions were made.
Ramiz Raja addressed Babar’s predicament directly. The third Test at Edgbaston will be the first encounter for the newly formed Pakistan squad in these conditions.
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