LAHORE: The Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) on Monday released seven players, alongside head coach Sarfaraz Ahmed and bowling coach Umar Gul, from its men’s team squad for the third and last Test of the away series against England, scheduled to be played in Birmingham from September 9 to 13.
According to the cricket board, the seven players released from the squad, include opening batters Imam-ul-Haq and Awais Zafar, wicketkeeper batter Mohammad Rizwan, all-rounders Salman Ali Aga and Aamir Jamal, left-arm spinner Ali Usman and right-arm pacer Khurram Shahzad.
Instead, the PCB brought in the top-order duo of Saim Ayub and Abdullah Fazal, all-rounders Arafat Minhas, Mohammad Imran and Razaullah, pacer Mohammad Imran Jr, as well as emerging wicketkeeper batter Saad Baig, who won the Player of the Tournament award in this year’s Quaid-e-Azam Trophy.
Furthermore, the cricket board also announced releasing head coach Sarfaraz and bowling coach Gul from the fold, who will be replaced by white-ball head coach Mike Hesson and Ashley Noffke, respectively.
The PCB further shared that the seven players will join the Pakistan squad ahead of the third England Test in Birmingham.
For the unversed, the changes in the Pakistan squad followed their lacklustre performances in the first two Tests of the ongoing series against England, which they lost by an innings and 103 runs and 194 runs, respectively.
Salman Ali Agha, Imam ul Haq and Mohammad Rizwan have consistently been underperfoming despite being given chances in the recent time.
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All three players have not been able to come out from their poor form and have failed to handle pressure in the away tours’ conditions.
Updated Pakistan squad for third Test against England
Babar Azam (c), Abdullah Fazal, Arafat Minhas, Azan Awais, Mohammad Abbas, Mohammad Ali, Muhammad Imran, Mohammad Imran Jnr, Muhammad Ghazi Ghori (wicket-keeper), Razaullah, Saad Baig (wicket-keeper) Saim Ayub, Sajid Khan, Saud Shakeel, Shan Masood and Ubaid Shah
